Stranger Things, I’m pretty sure, is a show about a bunch of kids in the 1980s who are harried by monsters from a another dimension in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. I saw “maybe,” because based on the marketing running up the third season, Stranger Things may be an ad agency. It has partnered with every company under the sun for new merch — Stranger Things Whopper at Burger King, Stranger Things ice cream at Baskin Robins, Stranger Things sneakers at Nike, and so on. Netflix is going hard on this stuff.
This latest ad may be the most insidious ad. Or is an ad? I genuinely don’t know. In the below clip, Steve and Dustin take in a movie at the Starcourt Mall, an important new location for the third season. What do you make of it:
So did they take an actual clip from the third season and build a Coke commercial around it, or was the whole thing filmed special just for Coke? WHAT IS REALITY?
If you’re wondering, the song from the clip is from an actual 1989 Coke commercial. It’s Robin Beck putting a Cola-Cola-themed twist on her song, “The Very First Time.”
And Dustin’s right, though, for the record: mixing candy and popcorn is great.
RELATED PRODUCT
Chicago Cubs Game Of Thrones Ice Dragon Bobblehead
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Anyway, Stranger Things season 3 drops on Netflix on July 4, Independence Day. There’s nothing more American than capitalism, so it’s appropriate. But seriously, I’m hoping all the corporate sponsorship stuff is just for marketing purposes, and that the actual show will just be itself without gobs of product placement. We’ll see soon!
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels