As anticipation builds for the final season of Stranger Things, brands are once again competing to earn relevance inside one of pop culture\u2019s most recognizable worlds. For Gatorade and Doritos, the opportunity went beyond a standard licensing play.<\/p>\n
Instead, both brands used the show\u2019s 1980s setting as a strategic bridge between entertainment, brand heritage, and modern audience expectations.<\/p>\n
Backed by PepsiCo<\/strong> and aligned with Netflix<\/strong>, the campaign reactivated real archival assets, reworked legacy creative, and layered in physical products, media, and participation mechanics.<\/p>\n Rather than simply borrowing Stranger Things iconography, Gatorade and Doritos rebuilt their marketing around the era that shaped both the brands and the show itself.<\/p>\n This breakdown looks at how that 1980s playbook came together and why it resonated with today\u2019s audiences.<\/p>\n[---ATOC---]\n[---TAG:H2---]\n PepsiCo ran two parallel creator-driven initiatives for Gatorade<\/strong> and Doritos<\/strong>, each tied to the cultural momentum around the final season of Stranger Things<\/span><\/span><\/strong>. Instead of building a single joint campaign, the teams coordinated around the same era, tone, and entertainment moment so each brand could activate in its own style while benefiting from shared cultural heat.<\/p>\n Gatorade leaned into late-1980s sports nostalgia \u2014 a space the brand had historically owned \u2014 and reintroduced a legacy creative platform to reconnect with fans who remember the original work while giving younger audiences an entry point through modern creators and social formats. The goal was simple: refresh an iconic brand asset and make it relevant in an entertainment-driven environment where younger consumers respond to storytelling, humor, and retro cues.<\/p>\n Doritos approached the moment differently. Its activation focused on fan culture, remix-ready moments, and retail tie-ins that would spark rapid social engagement. The creative leaned into Stranger Things aesthetics that fit naturally with the brand\u2019s existing identity and creator ecosystem, giving influencers clear visual hooks and a storyline they could recreate and translate into short-form content.<\/p>\n Both campaigns were scheduled ahead of the Season 5 release window to capture early excitement and give retailers and social teams room to build momentum. The timing created a rolling effect: teaser drops, creator-led reinterpretations, and retail visibility all fed into a broader wave of attention leading into the premiere.<\/p>\n
\nHow Gatorade and Doritos Approached the Same Moment Differently<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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