Arcade Direct case study

Coca Cola x Stranger Things Activation

A Stranger Things-inspired pop-up in Brick Lane, created with a London agency partner to recreate the atmosphere of Hawkins Palace Arcade.

Coca Cola x Stranger Things Activation project image
Coca Cola x Stranger Things Activation project image

Project story

Space transformation & Sustainability

We were approached by one of our London Agency partners to assist with creating a Netflix Stranger Things pop-up in Brick Lane. From original retro uprights and broken cabinets, to fully custom wrapped machines around the brand, we provided 10 machines in total to recreate the infamous Hawkins Palace Arcade.

Due to the expected demand and the fact that Coca Cola wished this to be a free event, we needed to come up with a solution to ensure guests could be limited to the number of plays and also progress through the pop-up quickly and efficiently.

For this we created Foamex tokens that could be handed out to guests on arrival, slotted in to a bespoke token holder to play the machines and also recycled at the end of the activation for sustainability purposes.

Coca Cola x Stranger Things Activation project image

Project story

All in the detail

We also commissioned a custom-branded multi games arcade machine, decked out in classic red and white with the iconic Coca-Cola logo. This wasn’t just any arcade machine; it was a blast from the past, filled with classic games that could transport you back to the golden age of gaming.

We also created a digital leaderboard for the iconic Dragons Lair machine using our interactive kiosk, and with a simple Google Sheet we were able to provide this cost effectively and efficiently.

Coca Cola x Stranger Things Activation project image

Project story

A successful brand activation

The pop-up was well received by all with Coca Cola tweeting to say the wait time was “a draconian 2.5 hours” due the the popular demand of the event. This retro gaming move was a hit. It was a clever way to connect with a new generation of consumers while paying homage to the brand’s rich history. It proved that sometimes, a little nostalgia can go a long way.

If you’re a huge Stranger Things fan and a lover of all things retro, you can take a look at our range of retro cabinets for hire to create your very own arcade set up!

Project film

See the activation in motion.

A film from the original Coca-Cola x Stranger Things project at Hawkins Palace Arcade.

Machines for a similar setup

Bring the idea to life.

For this project, the client wanted a range of original refurbished retro arcade games to help recreate the atmosphere of Hawkins Palace Arcade.

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