Netflix has asked the audience to mark their calendars this December, as the fifth and final season of Stranger Things comes out during the Holiday Season, marking the end of the year with a touch of anticipation and awe. This season is being launched in multiple segments to dominate the holidays and keep its viewers hooked until the very end.
How Stranger Things Boosted the US Economy
With over $1 Billion revenue generated since 2020, Stranger Things brought millions of new subscriber acquisitions for Netflix. Eleven’s favourite snack —‘Eggos’ in the series — resulted in the increased sales of the brand. Following the show’s rapid popularity, Kellogg’s claimed a 14% increase in the fourth quarter of 2017, which extended into 2018. Dungeons & Dragons, the board game played by the show’s protagonists, also sparked a 673% increase in interest.
The impact of Stranger Things extended well beyond Netflix itself, influencing even the music industry. Several decades-old songs experienced a dramatic resurgence after being featured in the series. Most notably, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, used as the song that saves Max from Vecna, returned to global charts decades after its original release. Additionally, “Upside Down” by Diana Ross saw a sharp increase in streaming numbers following the show’s release. Similar is the case with Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now”.
Increased Revenue for Featured Brands
Multiple brands entered the Stranger Things universe through carefully crafted strategic partnerships, a phenomenon that has popularly come to be known as the show’s “Upside Down Marketing.” From its earliest seasons, the series has effortlessly integrated strategic marketing into its narrative, allowing brands such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, and Reebok to leverage the platform in an organic manner rather than through overt advertising.
Brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) worked their way into the show, with careful product placement, making the viewing experience organic and relatable. Burger King featured prominently across the season, appearing in five of the eight episodes and accumulating just over two minutes of total screen time. The brand was most visible in the Starcourt Mall sequences.
Another significant source of influence, beyond food and beverage, is fashion. Nike’s iconic Cortez sneakers are featured repeatedly throughout the series, worn by Steve, symbolizing the growing prominence of sneaker culture during the 1980s and reinforcing the show’s nostalgic aesthetic. Starting Oct 5, Netflix and Target entered into a partnership with over 150 items available in-store and online.
By seamlessly blending strategic marketing with a strong emotional connection to the viewers, the show has been successful in generating measurable gains for its collaborators. This could be made possible by tapping into the underlying drivers of consumer behaviour. The key to this strategy to work was the organic product placement, instead of forced advertising.
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