Mike Attacks “NEW COKE” in Stranger Things 3 and Try It Yourself
Stranger Things 3 is the next installment of one of the most popular franchises on the Netflix streaming platform. According to a statement, Stranger Things “is a love letter to the ’80s classics that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is set in 1983 Indiana, where a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl.”
The 80s has a sense of being magical for younger generations, for some reason. People in their early 30s are infatuated with the decade, even though they were too young to remember it and the vast majority weren’t even born yet. The show is filled with fun memories of products and even companies that do not exist any more. One that goes beyond fun and is clearly a product placement is the focus on New Coke. New Coke, which came out in the mid 1980s was the source of enormous controversy at the time and led to a revolt that brought consumers “Classic Coke,” as an option for those who hated the “very Pepsi” tasting New Coke. Over time New Coke faded away and Classic Coke became, simply Coke, and everything was normal again in the soft drink universe. Either as an effort to just promote Stranger Things 3, or to give younger generations an opportunity to experience New Coke for themselves, or older generations an opportunity to rethink their position, Coke is bringing the product back on a very limited (and expensive) basis. Get your four pack for “only” $19.00.
In the series they treat the introduction of New Coke as a minor consumer incident and as a product that got “mixed reviews.” See how Stranger Things 3 treated it below:
In reality, the product was the source of major controversy and led to near riots. The following provides helpful and interesting context:
The statement from Netflix continues, “Stranger Things 3: It’s 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer’s heating up. School’s out, there’s a brand new mall in town, and the Hawkins crew are on the cusp of adulthood. Romance blossoms and complicates the group’s dynamic, and they’ll have to figure out how to grow up without growing apart. Meanwhile, danger looms. When the town’s threatened by enemies old and new, Eleven and her friends are reminded that evil never ends; it evolves. Now they’ll have to band together to survive, and remember that friendship is always stronger than fear.”
USA Business Radio would love to hear your view on New Coke: Have you had it before and liked it? Or did you hate it? Did you never have it and do not care to try it now? Or are you eager to give it a shot? Email us at producer@usabusinessradio.com and we will talk about some of your stories on the nationally syndicated Price of Business show.
