Dive Brief:
- Target wants to transport “Stranger Things” fans to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, through retail activations and an ad campaign celebrating the fifth and final season of the hit Netflix series, according to a press release.
- Dedicated in-store and online shopping destinations spotlight more than 150 new items inspired by “Stranger Things,” over half of which are exclusive to Target. Products include a popcorn bucket modeled on the monstrous Demogorgon, smartphone cases themed around walkie-talkies and holiday apparel.
- The retailer partnered with Netflix and the “Stranger Things” creative team on ads that take viewers back to a period-accurate Target from 1987. Target is the only retailer running a national campaign around “Stranger Things” that features on-screen talent and was developed in collaboration with Netflix.
Dive Insight:
Target is going all-out on “Stranger Things” to capitalize on what’s expected to be one of the major pop culture moments of the 2025 holidays. Netflix is releasing the final season in three installments — on Nov. 26, Christmas and New Year’s Eve — giving Target multiple opportunities to capture the interest of fans at the height of a critical shopping period.
The blockbuster-sized partnership comes as Target tries to turn around its business following a run of flagging performance and consumer backlash. The holidays are shaping up to be a test for a retail industry that is contending with tariffs and people cutting back on discretionary spending due to the shaky state of the economy.
Dedicated retail spaces for “Stranger Things” promise to go beyond simple brick-and-mortar store displays and will carry a broad assortment of items, many of which are exclusive to Target. Categories span Halloween costumes, clothing, food and beverage, home decor and toys and collectibles. The first wave of goods hits store shelves Oct. 5, with future drops timed to the show’s release schedule.
On Oct. 12, Target is also rolling out a national campaign that was developed with Netflix and some of the minds behind “Stranger Things.” Few details were shared about the creative, other than that it will star on-screen talent and “blurs the line between nostalgia and storytelling” in bringing consumers back to the late ‘80s and a carefully recreated Target store.
It was not immediately clear whether Target factors into the narrative of the fifth season of “Stranger Things,” though the series has previously set key scenes in malls and department stores like JCPenney. Other brands are already ramping up marketing activity in anticipation of season five, with Doritos earlier this week announcing a retro telethon event trotting out ‘80s icons like David Hasselhoff, Paula Abdul and ALF.
“Stranger Things” has long been a magnet for legacy brands that view its ‘80s setting as a prime canvas to draw on their heritage and consumer nostalgia, an increasingly common marketing tactic. Netflix for its part has been trying to strike more robust brand deals, including through co-branded campaigns, as its ad-supported business grows.
Target’s comparable sales, an important measure of retail health, fell 1.9% year over year in Q2, a period that also saw a 1.2% slide in merchandise sales. Longtime CEO Brian Cornell, who is credited with helping turn Target into a $100 billion company, in August announced he would step down from his post in early 2026.
