Best Use of Partnership in an Experiential Activation
Live From the Upside Down
Brand: Netflix and Doritos
Agency: Observatory and SlapGlobal
Ahead of the Stranger Things Season 4 premiere, Netflix and Doritos collaborated to reunite fans and bands for a concert quite literally out of this world. “Live From the Upside Down” turned Doritos bags into tickets for a 36-minute 1986 concert that never was, featuring bands like The Go-Go’s, Corey Hart and Soft Cell performing a duet with a time-jumping Charli XCX. After replicating the spectacle of the show’s terrifying Upside Down with a specially designed set, effects and Easter eggs were added in to make the transformation complete. The concert invite was scanned more than 365,000 times, granting Doritos an 11% sales lift and garnering a stunning 4.46 billion impressions. As for the Season 4 premiere of Stranger Things, it enjoyed a record-breaking 1.35 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days after the release alone. —S.C.
Best Use of Drive-Up Experience
NBC Quantum Leap 2022
Brand: NBC Universal
Agency: GDX Studios
In collaboration with GDX Studios in 2022, NBC Universal took a creative leap to connect with die-hard enthusiasts and new sci-fi fans around the revival of the Quantum Leap series. Harnessing the power of nostalgia, the media company brought the time-traveling experience to audiences with a Los Angeles drive-through event. The Blast From the Past offered gas at $0.91 per gallon, referencing prices in 1985 when the show was set. Beyond focusing on cheap fuel, the drive-through was a time tunnel to the ’80s, complete with period-specific music, breakdancers, and snacks like Big League Chew. The experience even enlisted Fandango as a partner to sell movie tickets at retro prices to further immerse people in the series’ world. The campaign was an influential lead into the premiere that drew more than 3.3 million viewers, thanks partly to their cultural flashback experience. —K.C.
