Eric Falkenberg's newest sculpture at Save On Foods, Kelowna, is a 13 foot tall portrait of Batman and the Joker.
Image Credit: SUMBITTED/ Eric Falkenberg
October 26, 2023 - 7:30 AM
A Kelowna Save On Foods employee just won his eighth award for his Coca-Cola and Pepsi box displays, which have gained him national recognition and multiple sit-down meals with the president of Coca-Cola.
Eric Falkenberg has been constructing award winning box sculptures since 2016. His most recent work is a towering dual portrait of Batman and the Joker.
The piece stands at over 13 feet tall and took three weeks and close to 3,000 boxes to complete.
Eric Falkenberg's newest sculpture at Save On Foods, Kelowna, is a 13 foot tall portrait of Batman and the Joker.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Eric Falkenberg
Eric’s passion for creating these impressive temporary sculptures began in 2016, when he entered his first Save on Foods contest. Eric designed and created a polar bear clutching a Coca-Cola which gained him not only recognition with the brand, but also a national award.
“The very first time it was my polar bear. I built it just because there was a special contest. I never had been in a contest before. It was for a thousand bucks,” Eric said. “I won the contest, but I didn't realize I also won a national contest.”
Since then, Eric has gained significant traction on social media. One of his most talked about and largest piece was a 50 foot long and 13-foot-tall Coca-Cola themed semi-truck that took more than 5,000 boxes to create.
“I talk to Coca-Cola or Pepsi… and they basically send me the boxes empty and they're flat,” Eric told iNFOnews.ca. “So I've got to assemble them all. That's what takes the most amount of time.”
Eric said this special deal with Coca-Cola and Pepsi is a result of his multiple competition wins and private dinners with the Coca-Cola president.
“He (the president) flew out here, came took us out for dinner,” he said. “And then I won a second time, and I got to see him again, and I won the third time… so that's really what inspired me and just where it really took off. And I can't stop.”
Eric’s background in civil engineering lends well into his creative work, but he has always had an artistic flare.
“I always liked drawing as a kid, playing with Lego,” he said. “My dream job would be to work for Lego.”
Currently, Eric works as the Operations Manager at Save On Foods, where he oversees the marketing and merchandising of the store. However, he is excited to see where the social media buzz will take him.
“We'll see what the future holds,” he said. “Just got to get myself out there.”
Eric’s next focus is on his top-secret Christmas display, which he promises will be just as much of a spectacle as his previous work.
“I plan on going pretty big for Christmas here,” he said. “I can't tell you what it is though.”
Falkenberg's largest piece was a 50 foot long and 13-foot-tall Coca-Cola themed semi-truck that took over 5,000 boxes to create.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Eric Falkenberg
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