This is a complete set of three original American promotional posters, produced in 1978 for Procter & Gamble’s Cascade, Cheer and Dawn promotion for George Lucas’s Star Wars. Featuring artwork by Ken Goldammer, the set brings together three distinctive compositions celebrating the film’s heroes, droids and legendary confrontation between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
This set was sourced in Japan as part of a wider Star Wars Collection. It had been held in this collection for over 25 years.
These posters were issued as promotional premiums for customers of the participating household brands, rather than as posters for general retail sale. They belong to the first wave of Star Wars merchandising that followed the original film’s extraordinary success in 1977.
Measuring approximately 47.5 × 58 cm each, all three survive in excellent condition, retaining rich colours and strong visual impact. All three original designs are included and sold together as one set.
About the promotion
By 1978, Star Wars had become a cultural phenomenon whose imagery extended far beyond the cinema. Promotional partnerships brought its characters into everyday shopping, helping establish the distinctive collecting culture surrounding the film.
For this campaign, Procter & Gamble commissioned three illustrated posters, offered to customers of Cascade dishwasher detergent, Cheer laundry detergent and Dawn dishwashing liquid.
Their promotional origin is identified in the small printed text along the lower margin, which begins:
“For the customers of Cascade, Cheer and Dawn.”
The accompanying 1978 Twentieth Century-Fox copyright notice and Procter & Gamble company credit place the posters directly within this original licensed promotion.
These are therefore original consumer promotional pieces from 1978, created to support the participating brands through their association with Star Wars. Their appeal lies in both their artwork and their connection to the earliest years of the film’s merchandising history.
The artist — Ken Goldammer
The artwork is by Ken Goldammer, whose printed signature appears within each composition.
Goldammer created a distinctive visual interpretation of the film for this promotional series. His smooth, airbrush-like modelling, saturated colours and dramatic lighting give the characters an almost sculptural presence, while layered backgrounds combine recognisable figures, spacecraft and settings.
The three designs share a consistent visual language: deep blue and violet starfields, luminous highlights and large foreground figures, surrounded by smaller narrative scenes. Together, they offer a particularly attractive overview of the original film’s universe.
Poster One — Darth Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi dominate the foreground, their red and blue lightsabers cutting diagonally through the composition. The enormous circular form of the Death Star provides a dramatic backdrop, emphasising the scale of the confrontation.
Smaller scenes expand the image beyond the two central figures. Stormtroopers occupy an Imperial corridor on the left, while Rebel pilots stand beside an X-wing in a hangar on the right. Above them, X-wings and TIE fighters exchange fire across the starfield.
Goldammer combines the personal conflict between the two characters with the wider battle between the Empire and the Rebellion, producing a richly detailed montage.
Poster Two — C-3PO & R2-D2
This composition places C-3PO and R2-D2 at the centre of a richly imagined desert setting. Threepio’s luminous golden body contrasts beautifully with Artoo’s white, silver and blue surfaces.
Surrounding vignettes introduce Jawas, Tusken Raiders and a Bantha, while a pale blue holographic Princess Leia appears at the lower right. Rocky terrain, mechanical details and a deep star-filled sky bring together several of the film’s most memorable images.
The emphasis on the two droids gives this poster a different character from the action scenes elsewhere in the set, while its colours and finish preserve the visual unity of the series.
Poster Three — Luke, Leia, Han & Chewbacca
The third design brings together Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca in an energetic group composition.
Luke advances at the front, with Leia and Han aiming their blasters outwards and Chewbacca rising behind them with his bowcaster. Their poses and the extended blaster beams create a powerful sense of movement.
Below, an X-wing and TIE fighter race above the Death Star’s surface, while the Millennium Falcon appears against a planetary disc on the right. The image combines character portraiture and space-battle imagery in a vivid expression of the original film’s adventurous spirit.
The appeal of the complete set
Together, the three posters cover complementary aspects of Star Wars: the central heroes, the much-loved droids and the confrontation between Jedi and Sith.
Their matching dimensions, consistent colour palette and shared promotional credits make them particularly effective displayed as a group. Each composition stands on its own, while the complete set allows Goldammer’s interpretation of the film to be appreciated across all three designs.
An attractive opportunity to acquire the complete three-design promotional series together, preserved in excellent condition almost five decades after its issue.
Why collectors prize this set
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Complete set of three original 1978 promotional posters, offered together.
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Artwork by Ken Goldammer, with his printed signature on each design.
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Produced for the Procter & Gamble / Cascade, Cheer and Dawn promotion.
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Originally issued as promotional premiums, not for general retail sale.
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Includes the Darth Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO & R2-D2, and principal heroes designs.
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Matching format and complementary artwork, ideal for display as a group.
Details
Country: United States
Poster year: 1978
Film: Star Wars — originally released in 1977
Director: George Lucas
Quantity: Three original posters, sold together as one set
Size: Approximately 47.5 × 58 cm each
Type: Original licensed consumer promotional posters
Promotional company: The Procter & Gamble Company
Participating brands: Cascade, Cheer and Dawn
Artwork: Ken Goldammer
Copyright credit: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Reference: T176-8
Condition
Excellent — a beautifully preserved complete set with vibrant colours, clear detail and strong overall presentation.
Some light handling impressions, small creases and minor edge and corner wear are visible in the photographs, including the reverse views. The artwork remains visually striking, and all three posters will display beautifully when framed.
Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact three posters included in this set.
The posters are approximately 48 years old.
They are originals, not reproductions or reprints.
