Coca-Cola is bringing back the one thing its fans never asked for in the first place.
In the summer of 1985 Coca-Cola made one of its biggest blunders, changing the formula of its flagship beverage, which it dubbed New Coke. The new version lasted just 79 days on the market and has become a cautionary tale for marketers. But the beverage giant is celebrating its mistake in a partnership with Netflix’s sci-fi thriller “Stranger Things.”
New Coke will be weaved through several episodes of the third season of the original series, bowing on July 4, which is set in the summer of 1985. And as part of the deal, Coca-Cola will bring back the beverage for a limited time.
While Netflix does not run ads in or around its programming—a pain for many advertisers eager to capitalize on the shift in consumer viewing behavior—it has embraced product placement in its original series, especially in “Stranger Things.” It started with Eggo Waffles, featured prominently in the season one storyline of “Stranger Things,” though Eggo did not know about the integration before the show debuted. But leading into season two, Eggo introduced a “Stranger Things” spoiler-blocker, recipes tied to each of the episodes, do-it-yourself costume pieces made with Eggo boxes, an Eggo waffle truck for the "Stranger Things" premiere and "Stranger Things" toasters and Eggo waffles.
The second season also featured an integration with KFC.