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The scoop on Netflix and Baskin-Robbins’ race to recreate an ‘80s-era ice-cream parlor for ‘Stranger Things’
By Ann-Christine Diaz Illustration by Blood Bros. Published on July 29, 2019
To drum up fans’ excitement for the arrival of Season 3 of “Stranger Things,” Netflix teamed with Baskin-Robbins to bring to life one of the show’s key locations, the Scoops Ahoy ice-cream parlor. The ice-cream retailer transformed its most-trafficked shop, located in Burbank, California, into a real-life Scoops Ahoy, featuring interiors, signage, uniforms, product and personalities true to the show. Here, we break down everything that went into creating an ‘80s-themed experience straight out of the Starcourt Mall, beginning with this challenge: Agency 22Squared and production company M ss ng P eces, which brought the idea to life, had to get the thumbs up of not just Baskin-Robbins, but also Netflix and “Stranger Things” creators the Duffer Brothers. Though the team had access to stills and early clips from the show, it did not have access to the show’s vendors, staff or official designs. Adage End Bug
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Layout Reconfiguration
Unlike the Scoops Ahoy shop in the show, which has the deep orientation of a typical mall shop, the layout of the Burbank Baskin-Robbins location was wide and shallow. Experiential designer Kalie Acheson had to rejigger the parlor design to work in that floorplan.
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Window workaround
One particularly tricky aspect: the sliding service window that leads to the backroom of the ice cream parlor. In the show, the window appears right behind the main serving counter, but such placement wasn’t possible in the Burbank shop. After many different placement ideas failed to pan out, 22Squared came up with the idea to create a false wall on one side of the store. The design team then added a blurred-out background to create the illusion of more depth. Acheson and specialists from her design and fabrication company Art Mafia built and installed set dressing and hero props.
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Instagram opportunities
An experiential idea isn’t complete without its Instagram opportunities, so the store was outfitted with a ship’s bow, captained by actors in Scoops Ahoy uniforms. There was even a Scoops Ahoy “Employee of the Month” cardboard cutout that actor Jack Black stopped by and stuck his head into.
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Playing the part
The Scoops Ahoy talent not only had to look the part, it had to “act” it too. The production team cast actors who were studied fans of the show so they could improvise responses with the fans. Baskin-Robbins staffers, too, wore uniforms and got a bit of performance training. The idea was to bring a bit of “immersive theater” to the experience.
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Dress-up
For wardrobe, the production team faced the same issue it did with the sets. Led by costume designer Marcel Gendro, they had to reverse-engineer costumes from stills and clips since they didn’t get access to official show wardrobe. Garments were sourced individually and custom-tailored.
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Managing the lines
The experience in Burbank ran for two weeks. Throughout, lines wrapped around the store and down the block, with some customers waiting up to four hours to be served. Extra security was hired to manage traffic in the parking lot and coordinate news crews that stopped by.
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Fan love
Though not an official part of the experience, some fans wanted to pitch in. Parked in front of the store during the event was one fan’s weathered Jeep Wrangler, decked out in “Stranger Things” memorabilia and carrying some creepy-looking passengers.
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Hidden clues
Hidden in the store were clues related to a Baskin-Robbins/”Stranger Things” alternate reality game, such as a coded sticker on the glass of the Scoops Ahoy ice cream case. Such clues weren’t just part of the experiential campaign, but could be found in all 2,500 Baskin-Robbins stores all over the country.
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Extra dressing
M ss ng P eces Experiential Producer Lawrence Lewis tapped specialists, including lighting designers, prop providers and vinyl printing and application specialists, to transform the different parts of the store into their 1985 counterparts. Everything from the walls and floors, to refrigeration equipment and the massive marquee that hung outside, got makeovers. Though the production company initially wanted five days to build, it ultimately only got 36 hours from start to finish because the franchise owner couldn’t close shop for the requested time frame.
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The product
Even the treats on offer were authentic to the show. Baskin-Robbins modified one of its old flavors to create the USS Butterscotch flavor featured on “Stranger Things” season 3, which was also sold at the store. The brand also created specific offerings, like the Demogorgon Sundae and Eleven’s Heaven, as part of the “Stranger Things” partnership.
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Merch
22Squared also designed special merchandise to go along with the experience, including T-shirts, stickers and Funko dolls.
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There was even a boat
In addition to the Burbank store, the teams opened up another Scoops Ahoy in Toronto. There was also a “roving” experience in the form of a Scoops Ahoy ship, a boat-style ice cream truck that traveled around L.A., an original concept from 22Squared. The base of the ship was a vintage-style ice cream truck wrapped in vinyl and covered with props like a life preserver, netting and buoys. The aspect that made it sing, however, was a bow attachment that transformed the truck into a boat. It wasn’t legal to drive the truck in that form, so each time it moved, the bow piece had to be reinstalled. One of the boat’s stops was at the Santa Monica Pier. According to M ss ng P eces, the ship was so heavy, it needed to sit on a reinforced section of the pier to keep from falling into the ocean. Stranger things have happened
Web production by Corey Holmes