Dive Brief: 

• Chips Ahoy and Netflix’s “Stranger Things” have partnered for an augmented-reality (AR) game and limited-edition cookie timed to the release of the hit series’ fifth and final season, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. 
• Beginning Aug. 11, Chips Ahoy is inviting consumers who scan on-pack QR codes or visit a microsite into a gamified version of the Upside Down, the chilling alternate dimension featured in “Stranger Things.” There, they can search for hidden cookies that translate into real-life prizes.
• The Mondelēz International brand will also release a cookie inspired by the Upside Down, along with cookie packs that nod to Chips Ahoy designs from the 1980s, the same decade in which “Stranger Things” is set.

Dive Insight: 

Chips Ahoy is aligning itself with a pop culture sensation through its tie-up with “Stranger Things.” The Netflix series, which debuted in 2016, has become one of the streamer’s most popular original shows, amassing over 140 million global views for its fourth season alone. That level of popularity has attracted a number of other advertisers, including Domino’s, Coca-Cola and H&M. 

The final season of the show will be released across three premiere dates, beginning with four episodes on Nov. 26. Ahead of the release, Chips Ahoy will launch an AR game, accessible via microsite and on-pack QR codes, that invites consumers to search for cookies hidden within different levels of an Upside Down-themed experience. In-game achievements will translate into the chance to win prizes, including limited-edition merchandise and a “Stranger Things” guitar inspired by Eddie Munson, a main character in season four.

The brand will also release a limited-edition cookie, which features a chocolate base, fudge chips and a red, strawberry-flavored filling, the brand’s first fruit-flavored filling. Packaging will incorporate design elements from the show and include a glow-in-the-dark feature. Additionally, Chips Ahoy will release Original Chips Ahoy 1980s retro packs. Consumers can register to pre-order the limited-edition “Stranger Things” cookie via microsite, with sign-ups limited to the first 1,500 people. The product will be available at retailers nationwide beginning Aug. 11.

The fifth season of “Stranger Things” continues to center around the town of Hawkins, Indiana, which is scarred from the opening of the rifts, or ruptures that connect the normal world to the Upside Down. The group of young friends the show is based around, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), are on their final mission to kill Vecna, the series’ main antagonist. 

Several brands have tapped into the excitement surrounding popular Netflix content. Most recently, U.S. Bank and Subway both announced tie-ups with the streamer for “Happy Gilmore 2,” the sequel to Adam Sandler’s 1996 hit comedy that premiers July 25. In December, language-learning app Duolingo linked with Netflix for a campaign encouraging consumers to learn Korean in advance of the release of season two of “Squid Game.”