Spotlight of the Week: Stranger Things

Welcome to Hawkins, Indiana, home of the weird and paranormal. Netflix just recently released the second season of Stranger Things. This season follows a new group of ghost-busters quest to close the upside down. With Stranger Things being one of Netflix's most watched shows, it comes a no surprise the amount of marketing that went into the promotion of season 2.

Twitter:

Before the season 2 premiere, Stranger Things implemented a Twitter campaign entitled Spoiler Things, in which it has the cast of the show call out prominent fans of the shows and offers them spoilers on season 2. This offers current followers of the show tidbits into the next season with spoiler like Steve starts "hanging out with someone younger" and Lucas "get his own Eleven." It also reaches out to new audiences by tagging prominent fans of the series like Megan Ganz, Max Carver, and Chris Hardwick. If people see that some of their favorite writers or actors follow the show, they might choose to tune in themselves. 

Easter Eggs:

For the premiere of season 2, Stranger Things incorporated some non-traditional ways of generating buzz and excitement about the show. Around NYC and LA, they had billboards put up advertising Hawkins Power and Light. People who do not watch the show would not have any clue that this billboard pertains to the show, but any viewers who see it would understand the significance. This type of outside of the box advertising gets people's attention but also gains media attention, which helps in getting the word out about the premiere. An added bonus to this billboard was that the number on it actually calls Hawkins Power and Light. 

Business Partnerships:

Stranger Things partnered with many different entities like Reebok, Topshop, Spotify, and Lyft. Topshop themed their store in Oxford around the show. Spotify created an immersive platform that matches your music tastes with one of the playlist themed around the characters like Eleven's Breakfast Jams. Personally, I think Lyft had the most interesting team up with Stranger Things in that they pranked riders with turning their car ride "upside down." All of these partnerships help Stranger Things reach new audiences bases that are fans of these brands. 

Stranger Things has had one of the best marketing campaigns that I have seen thus far for a T.V. show. They went way beyond the traditional use of social media. It comes as no surprise to me about how many viewers it attracts. Its marketing campaigns ensure that everyone hears about the show even if they might not be watching it.