Nothing says “1980’s” quite like sugary special edition beverages and massive pop culture franchises. There once was a time- before all those pesky healthy foods initiatives!- where kids could find all their favorite animated characters on nearly every questionable item in the junk food aisle of their local convenience store. Revivals of some of the most famous pairings from the period have proven to be lucrative in recent years when limited edition Back to the Future-inspired Pepsi Perfect bottles nearly shut down Amazon’s servers due to the demand and Hi-C Ecto Cooler’s return to the market sparked hardcore Ghostbusters fans to conduct nationwide searches through grocery stores in search of a slime-green case. Now, Coca-Cola wants in on the action… but they’ve forgotten that those aforementioned collaborations were built on beverages people loved to drink. They’re turning the classic formula “Upside Down” and bringing back one of their most controversial beverages for a limited time, and they’ve found a perfect partner in crime with Netflix’s upcoming Stranger Things 3!
Variety reports that Coca-Cola and Netflix have partnered to feature New Coke in Stranger Things 3, and to make new cans of everyone’s least-favorite soda available to rabid Stranger Things fans nationwide. You see, New Coke was the only kind of Coca-Cola available on store shelves for 79 days in 1985, and the new season of the hit series takes place during the same exact time period. According to Variety, “New Coke was supposed to be a saving grace for Coca-Cola, a sweeter version of its iconic soda tailored for modern tastes. Instead, its launch is seen as one of the greatest gaffes in the history of marketing. Consumers rebelled, hoarding cans of the original formula.” To celebrate this momentous occasion (and to find a way to sneak advertising directly into Netflix programming), New Coke will appear in select episodes of Stranger Things 3.
Geoff Cottrill, Coca-Cola North America’s senior vice president of strategic marketing, had this to say about the partnership: “We want to look for ways to work with Netflix, but only in ways that don’t interrupt consumers, and don’t get in the way of the entertainment. If we can find ways to integrate authentically and add value to the experience, then we want to be a part of it.”
Fans have the opportunity to be a part of it today by watching a new commercial for Coca-Cola and Stranger Things 3 which was directed by the Duffer brothers and features many familiar faces from the hit show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrTVc6bfzVg
The fun continues this Thursday at CokeStore.com/1985, where fans can snag one of the 500,000 cans which will be produced as a part of some kind of yet to be announced bundle package. The rest will be available at the company’s World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta on the week of June 3rd.
Stay tuned to Horror News Network for complete coverage of Stranger Things 3 as soon as it breaks!
