It’s the favorite beverage of residents in Hawkins, Indiana, and beverage drinkers around the country are about to get a blast from the past when Coca Cola brings back New Coke.
The company is re-launching the misfire beverage, which first popped up on store shelves in the ’80s, as part of a partnership with Netflix and an unusual promotion for the streaming giant’s famed original series Stranger Things, which frequently sees characters sipping on Coca Cola.
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“This is uncharted territory for us,” Geoff Cottrill, senior vice president of strategic marketing for Coca-Cola North America, told Variety. “We want to look for ways to work with Netflix, but only in ways that don’t interrupt consumers, and don’t get in the way of the entertainment. If we can find ways to integrate authentically and add value to the experience, then we want to be a part of it.”
New Coke was first launched in 1985 as a “sweeter version” of the brand’s namesake beverage, though it made its debut to little fanfare, with Coca Cola drinkers rebelling by buying out the remaining bottles of the original recipe. Within just 79 days, the original formula returned to stores.
New Coke’s second chance at success was spurred after Netflix learned that Stranger Things showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer were intending to feature the beverage in the series’ upcoming third season, and the brands have been working on the promotion for the last 18 months.
When New Coke re-launches later this year, more than 30 years after its initial run, about 500,000 cans will be made available to the public. They will be able to be purchased online as part of a package at CokeStore.com/1985. Customers will also be able to grab them at the company’s World of Coca-Cola the week of June 3.
Coca-Cola will also unveil limited-edition packages of original Coke with “Stranger Things” designs on them, and a re-make of the 1985 ad for New Coke will launch in movie theaters.
Fans will be able to sip on their cans of New Coke while watching the third season of Stranger Things, which is slated to premiere on Netflix on July 4.
The upcoming season will jump to 1985, the year in which the small town of Hawkins, Indiana is introduced to a new world of shopping with the debut of The Starcourt Mall, which will play a key location throughout the season.
Along with the return of the main cast, fans can also expect to see the return of one of the series’ biggest villains, the Mind Flayer.
