Music has always played a pivotal role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, with impactful needledrops dialing up emotional resonance while moving the show’s plot forward.
Spotify is a platform built on music discovery; our multi-year partnership with Stranger Things amplifies the music that makes the series, introducing new listeners to decades-old hits and hosting a space for viewers and listeners to connect. The Stranger Things Official Playlist has been streamed over 200 million times, proving the cultural significance of the series and its soundtrack.
For the series’ final season, Spotify took the partnership to the next level with an integrated campaign across social, press, out of home, and within the Spotify app. The goal was to build on the massive hype of season 5 by engaging directly with, and rewarding, invested fans. The campaign centered on WSQK’s “The Squawk” radio, the show’s musical centerpiece, featuring hidden clues on social and on-platform that unlocked exclusive content.
The multi-phased campaign spanned 31 markets, and was timed with the 3-part release schedule of Stranger Thing’s final season.
The first phase revisited iconic music moments from the series in the Spotify Watch Feed, driving fans to the Stranger Things Official Playlist. From Max Mayfield’s escape from Vecna soundtracked by Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” to Eddie Munson’s iconic “Master of Puppets” guitar solo, Stranger Things breathed new life into older songs that stick with fans to this day. When fans landed on the official playlist, the cover art was customized to feature a different character from the series based on their music affinity and listening habits.
We also captured exclusive video content with the cast, which rolled out alongside each campaign phase, in which they revisited their favorite music moments from the series.
The second phase brought the WSQK radio to the Stranger Things Official Playlist on Spotify. Inside the playlist, we embedded audio clues voiced by Rockin’ Robin (voiced byMaya Hawke) herself. Accompanying social posts let fans know when the clues were available and where to find them. When the first clip dropped, fans flocked to socials to theorize what they meant, and what they might reveal. Ultimately, users were able to piece together a string of numbers that unlocked an exclusive clip from an upcoming episode, directly on Spotify. Digital out of home placements also promoted the experience in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami.
The final campaign phase celebrated fans’ listenership with digital share cards granted to the top 11% of listeners on Spotify. We also collaborated with Netflix on a social video that featured the cast dedicating songs to one other in honor of the show’s finale.
The campaign was a huge success, receiving over 5.5 billion press impressions and nearly 60 million organic social impressions on owned posts. The Stranger Things Official Playlist was streamed 75 million times throughout the campaign, and currently boasts more than 3.2 million saves on Spotify.
Social sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, and engagement rate benchmarks were shattered across platforms. Stranger Things may have come to an end, but this campaign proves how the show lives on through its music, connecting fans to the songs and artists that power the series.
