11 Times Brands Got Stranger for Stranger Things Season 5

Can someone give the Demogorgon a fit check?

For the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, which premiered its first installment on Nov. 26, Netflix is rolling out a suite of brand collaborations ranging from apparel and collectibles to food and experiences.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with so many fantastic brands, offering fans — and fellow nerds — the largest collection of products and experiences in Stranger Things history and one of our biggest campaigns yet as we celebrate the fifth and final season of this globally beloved series,” said Netflix CMO Marian Lee. 

Netflix is teaming with so many brands that it’d be impossible to highlight every one, so in honor of the character Eleven, here are the top 11 you should check out:

1. Doritos

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This is nacho average Doritos campaign. For the final season, Netflix and Doritos partnered in multiple markets, including launching an ’80s-style “Telethon for Hawkins” campaign starring ’80s icons such as Paula Abdul. Viewers can also see Doritos Collisions Stranger Pizza x Cool Ranch chips, Stranger Things packaging across Doritos and Minis flavors, and a limited edition Doritos Minis flavor.

2. Gatorade

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Running from Vecna works up a thirst, so Netflix joined Gatorade to bring back glass bottles and ’80s products. Among the highlights, Citrus Cooler returns for a limited time along with a “No Ordinary Athlete” spot narrated by Stranger Things superfan and Cleveland Browns star (and potential NFL sack record holder) Myles Garrett. Look for the glass bottles starting Dec. 4. (Viewers could also spot the bottles in the first batch of episodes in Season 5.)

3. Google

@yaseenthatguy @Google and @Netflix have teamed up to create a SECRET gate on Google Search for Stranger Things Season 5. Here’s everything you need to know so you can claim your secret prize #strangerthings #strangerthings5 #netflix #google ♬ original sound – Yaseen That Guy

Just like Jim Hopper, Will Byers, and other characters on Stranger Things, Search is also back from the dead. Google teamed up with Netflix to create a Search scavenger hunt, where fans who typed “Stranger Things” into Google decoded clues and went on a hunt for Stranger Things secrets. According to Netflix, another Google surprise is still on the way.

4. KFC

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No one in Hawkins is chicken when it comes to Vecna, so KFC is here to fill a need. In the U.K., Netflix and KFC created “Hawkins Fried Chicken” and launched a Stranger Things Burger and Stranger Wings. KFC also created The Hawkins Fried Chicken Hotline, a free, fully immersive adventure. Furthermore, in Mexico, KFC inspired fans to create theories on the Colonel’s secret recipe and its “Eleven” herbs and spices.

5. Target

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Ahead of Season 5, Target turned its stores Upside Down with more than 150 items available in-store and online. The company also transported customers to Hawkins with a retro ad campaign.

Among the items, Target will have products from Funko, Mattel, Gatorade, and Squishmallows. Meanwhile, consumers can also take home things like a Demogorgon popcorn bucket or Walkie Talkie phone cases for iPhones.

6. Tide

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Fighting all those monsters from the Upside Down can really take a toll on your ’80s clothing, so Tide and Netflix rolled out a campaign starring Cara Buono as her character Karen Wheeler. With Tide and Cara being “No Stranger to Stains,” the Wheeler family’s mom helps turn the tide on messes.

7. Stellantis

The Stranger Things kids are always zipping around in cars in Season 5, so it makes sense that auto brand Stellantis would want to make its cars a bit stranger, too. Stellantis teamed with Netflix to create a limited-edition Pulse Abarth, with hundreds of vehicles available in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.

8. Lego

In another highlight, Stranger Things is releasing a Lego version of the Creel House, the childhood home of big bad Vecna/Henry Creel. According to Netflix, the 2,593-piece set is a tribute to the eerie epicenter of Season 5, and it comes complete with Easter eggs from all five seasons. It’s a set that series creators Ross and Matt Duffer call “honestly surreal.”

9. Gaming partnerships

Is it cheating in a list of 11 things to include multiple gaming partnerships? Welp, with local authority Jim Hopper preoccupied with monsters from another dimension, we’ll take this opportunity to point out Netflix’s multiple Stranger Things partnerships with Brawl Stars, Dead by Daylight, Fortnite, and Minecraft, which transport players to the worlds of Stranger Things thanks to executions like Fortnite’s new Hellfire-Club Blitz Royale map and Minecraft’s upcoming Blockception DLC.

10. McDonald’s

Stranger Things continues to take the Upside Down worldwide with McDonald’s activations in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil. There, McDonald’s created a custom Stranger Things McMenu, along with a supporting campaign and collectibles inspired by the series.

11. Eggo

Eggo has been a brand in Stranger Things from the beginning, and it’s back with its “first-ever strawberry red waffle made with colors from natural sources.” Eggo also released limited edition packs of Stranger Things Homestyle Waffles, which hit shelves in October. And in celebration of Eleven returning, the brand announced a giveaway of 11,000 boxes of waffles.

Honorable mention collabs

Stranger Things left no brand right-side up as it entered its final stretch of episodes. Other collectible collaborations include Jazwares, Squishmallows, Funko Pop!, Care Bears, Sirius Dice, Lego Brickheadz, Dungeons & Dragons, Ravensburger, Clementoni, Santa Cruz, and Panini.

For nostalgic ’80s styles and show apparel, Netflix teamed with brands such as Gap, Benetton, Nike & Converse, Pull&Bear, Size?, New Era, No Boundaries, Crocs, Minnetonka, CoverGirl, Casetify, Aldo, Dr. Squatch, Zara, Clarks, Wrangler, Cotton On, Jansport, and Casio.

Meanwhile, branding is also making its way to homewares and goods, including collaborations with Bialetti, Coleman, Williams Sonoma, Energizer, Displate, Gum, Bic, and Maruhiro.

Lastly, beyond Eggo and Doritos, look for Stranger Things food and beverages from Palermo’s (Surfer Boy Pizza), Chupa Chups, Kinder Joy, Chips Ahoy!, General Mills, Gatorade, Scoops Ahoy, Babybel, Totino’s, Starbucks, Hellmann’s, Trident, and Seara.