Doritos Hosts 80s-Style Telethon for Hawkins Residents in Stranger Things

  Rassegna Stampa, Social
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Strange things are happening in Hawkins, Indiana—but Doritos has a way for people to “chip in.”

The snack brand is rallying support around the fictional town in Stranger Things ahead of the Netflix show’s fifth and final season premiere in November. 

Starting today (Sept. 29), fans can call into a 1987-style telethon and leave messages of support for Hawkins, which has been besieged by the dark machinations of the Upside Down. 1980s legends David Hasselhoff, Paula Abdul, and alien creature ALF will broadcast transmissions and appear in digital spots for the campaign. 

Select fan messages will also appear on Doritos’ social channels and billboards. 

A warning, though: some callers may experience supernatural interference or accidental transmissions from Hawkins’ residents. 

Doritos began teasing the campaign earlier this month when it debuted a limited-edition Stranger Pizza x Cool Ranch flavor, with retro packaging that included the telethon number. The product nods to the original launch of Doritos Cool Ranch in 1986. 

The brand will also introduce Doritos Minis Glow in the Dark Spicy Sweet Chili, with glow-in-the-dark packaging. 

“The ‘Telethon for Hawkins’ is our rally for the fandom,” said Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer of PepsiCo Foods U.S. “We designed every element to make fans feel like they were part of the mission dialing into a snack-fueled hotline to the Upside Down.”

Doritos previously collaborated with Stranger Things in 2022, when it hosted a “Live From the Upside Down” virtual concert to celebrate the hit thriller’s fourth season. 

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/doritos-hosts-80s-style-telethon-for-hawkins-residents-in-stranger-things/