All About Petr: The Stickers That Stole Hearts At UC Irvine

The petr sticker drop: a staple piece of UC Irvine culture.

If you attend UCI, you most definitely have waited in Aldrich Park, furiously refreshing your Instagram page, until that moment where someone says, “It’s at the ALP (Anteater Learning Pavillion)!” or simply states “Science Library!” This is where the sprint begins. Swarms of students head towards the location where the stickers are being passed out, unable to rest until the sticker and/or other petr mementos are in their possessions. However, if you don’t go to UCI, then what I just described probably makes zero sense. Let me explain.

Created by an anonymous student in 2018, Petr the Anteatr is the quirky mascot of an entire sticker distribution movement. Petr the Anteatr started as an Instagram account (@petr_the_anteatr) that quickly gained a cult following. This following is primarily attributed to the crucial information that is posted on the account: the location of where the stickers would be passed out — this is also known as the “drop location.” Thus began the sticker drop system that so many students partake in, hoping to secure another treasure for their collections.

For more context, this system essentially involves a petr account posting the sticker design, along with the drop date and time. Those who wish to snag this sticker must wait until this date and time for the location of the sticker drop to be released. This is where the chase commences, for there is only a limited amount of stickers available per drop. At the drop location, students line up as individuals with concealed identities, the petrs, pass out their stickers. First come, first serve.

Sadly, the original petr had a final drop in 2019. However, the work of Petr the Anteatr was not soon forgotten. The account’s legacy persevered as the UCI petr community continued to flourish. The persisting strength of the community was made apparent when videos of UCI students running for these stickers had a viral moment on Tik Tok. These petr drops have even expanded past stickers. For example, one petr account, Petr the Lasrcuttr (@petr_the_lasrcuttr), creates wooden laser-cut keychains to pass out at drops.

Petr the Lasercuttr’s trademark keychains from a Spring 2022 drop.

You might be wondering, what do students do with these stickers? Some choose to proudly display their stickers on their laptops or water bottles, while others like to adorn their phone cases with these prized possessions. However, a few students see these stickers more as collectables, keeping them in mint condition. After all, only a limited number of these stickers and keychains are made, making them rare and valuable (at least to UCI students).

Second-year Kaylie Fukumoto shares her petr sticker collection.

Although I am in my second year here at UCI and have attended a fair number of these petr drops, my knowledge on the inside workings of the petrs is limited. There is much that goes on behind-the-scenes of a petr drop that goes unnoticed to the average Aldrich Park sprinter. To shine a light on the sticker drop process and the overall petr network, I have decided to interview Ms. Petr (@_ms.petr_) and ask her about the sticker-making process and what the sticker drop culture looks like on her end.

But first, a little about Ms. Petr. With a following of almost 1,300 individuals, Ms. Petr enjoys making stickers with a variety of different themes. Although she did not personally know the original petr, the account’s creativity sparked her interest. After attending one of Petr the Anteatr’s last drops, she was inspired to start designing and producing stickers of her own.

Ms. Petr says these sticker drops “allow [her] to still draw and have a creative outlet, since [she’s] a STEM major, while also not taking up too much time.” She also enjoys knowing sticker enthusiasts enjoy her designs. Ms. Petr’s favorite drop happened during the 2022 Fall quarter, which was a joint Halloween drop with a few other petr accounts. At this drop, Ms. Petr created a petr sticker of Moistcritikal, a Youtuber and Twitch streamer, and even dressed up as him.

Having participated in a few sticker drops, Ms. Petr had some tips for the newbie sticker collector. Firstly, she said it is wise to follow the Instagram account of the petr with your favorite designs and wait for them to post a drop date and time. She found that the best place to wait for the drop location was Aldrich Park since it is in the middle of campus. Next, if the petr accounts are late to posting the drop location, she stressed the importance of not spamming their Instagram inboxes. As Ms. Petr stated, “It takes a lot to plan locations, get dressed, and set up the drop spot. So please be patient.” Lastly, if you're unable to run for a drop due to a disability or injury, she suggested seeing if the account has an accessibility form. Ms. Petr also noted that these “accessibility forms are for people who cannot run for a drop, not for people who don't have time for a drop. Please don't abuse the system!”

Additionally, Ms. Petr offered some insight for those who might want to become petrs themselves. She advised that after you make your petr account on Instagram, “just draw and have fun!” And if you want to gain a larger following on your account, she recommended forming a group with other petrs who started around the same time, have a similar following, and/or follow a similar theme. She found that “a group drop is a great way to get used to the drops because solo drops can be a bit intimidating.” Ms. Petr also encouraged respecting the rules of the original petr: don't use the stickers for political or monetary gain. With that being said, she expressed that, at the end of the day, “the petr community is huge and super welcoming, and [it is] happy to have new people!”

Although it may be intimidating at first to participate in the drops, hopefully you now have the tools and knowledge to make the pursuit of these stickers less daunting. After all, whether you join in a few or all of the petr sticker drops, the unifying joy and anticipation of the pass time remains the same. So next time you see students sprinting from Aldrich Park, phones in hand, just know that following the herd is not a bad idea.