Stranger Things Research Paper

Stranger Things: Netflix’s New Cult
What do shows Spongebob Squarepants, Orange is the New Black, Scandal all have in common? They all possess extremely vast audiences and loyal viewership that they are referred to as having a “cult following.” These shows have influenced today’s pop culture and formed the way audiences expect to receive forthcoming media products. This essay will explore how Netflix’s new series Stranger Things’ production and distribution lead to new and innovative exhibition practices, how their integrated advertising helped create a new wave of cult followers, and lastly, how it’s popularity makes it a cult classic.
Stranger Things: In a nut shell
The 2016 Netflix series, Stranger Things is a science-fiction thriller brilliantly

One the bike ride home, Will is suddenly interrupted by the extraterrestrial monster, causing him to crash his bike in some woods. Will runs through the woods home, knowingly followed the creature. He makes it in his house only to find that his mom and brother aren’t there. Alone in the house, he spots the creature outside his window and then runs for safety in a shed in his backyard. While attempting to hide out, he is discovered by the monster and in an instant he vanishes. The rest of the series follows the the remaining three friends as they conduct their own investigation to find Will with the escaped laboratory patient Eleven, who uses her telekinetic powers to aid

In this case, Netflix used as much product placement as possible when trying to recreated the 80’s in Stranger Things (Keating, 2016). Everything from 1980’s wardrobe to 1980’s wallpaper was used in creating the mis-en-scene. The series displayed brands like Snack Pack, Freeland Dairy, Upwords, Designer Series: Trapper Keeper, Pullman Penetrating Graphite Oil, and Santa Trim Christmas Lights. They even included brands that are popular today such as Tide, Jif Peanut Butter, Coke, and Eggo Waffles. There is no doubt that these popular 80’s brands brought upon a sense of nostalgia, but there is no word yet on whether these brands and Netflix made any product placement deals. We can also see advertainment efforts made in Old Navy’s 2016 Black Friday Campaign. Old Navy used Gaten Matarazzo who plays Dustin in Stranger Things as their lone star in advertising for their Black Friday scratch off savings. What makes this campaign advertainment is that Matarazzo wears the same signature baseball cap that he wears through out “Stranger Things”, solid red on the sides and white on the face of the cap. Like the series, Old Navy also paid homage to the 80’s by remaking the classic Pump up the Jam by Technotronic, to tell the customers about the