Chips Ahoy Leverages AR Gamefication from Stranger Things to Boost Customer Devotion and User-Generated Content Sharing
Chips Ahoy and Stranger Things Collaborate on Limited-Edition Cookie and Augmented Reality Game
Chips Ahoy has teamed up with Netflix's Stranger Things for a unique marketing campaign, launching a limited-edition cookie and an immersive augmented reality (AR) game to coincide with the show's final, fifth season.
The collaboration includes a Stranger Things-themed cookie, featuring a chocolate base with fudge chips and a first-ever strawberry-flavored filling, inspired by the Upside Down dimension. The packaging is designed in a retro 1980s style, with special Stranger Things design elements and a glow-in-the-dark feature, evoking nostalgia for the era when the show is set.
To add an extra layer of excitement, an AR game is accessible by scanning a QR code on each package. Players enter the Upside Down universe and hunt for hidden cookies across different game levels to increase their "happy meter." Gameplay achievements qualify players for prizes such as Stranger Things-themed merchandise and a guitar inspired by the character Eddie Munson. The game runs through December 31, 2025.
The marketing strategy is centered around pop-culture synchronization, leveraging fan excitement as the product release coincides with the Stranger Things season 5 premiere. The campaign creates scarcity and novelty by offering a limited-time cookie flavor and packaging, stimulating social media buzz and encouraging quick purchases.
Seamless digital-physical integration is achieved via on-pack QR codes, a branded microsite, and retail availability across nationwide outlets, ensuring an easy path from discovery to buying to gameplay.
The AR game invites deeper immersion than a static collectible, turning viewers into participants. Infusing a classic cookie with an unexpected fruit-cream center demonstrates how even established products can be reimagined to surprise and delight.
The new flavor is an homage to Stranger Things' signature "Rifts," and the packaging that evokes a bygone era taps into an emotional connection, especially powerful when the entertainment property itself trades on period aesthetics. The Chips Ahoy package design features a throwback to the 1980s, with muted teal and burnt orange stripes and glow-in-the-dark ink.
The AR game lives on a brand-specific microsite and within the app, fostering both home and on-the-go engagement. Notifications remind users when new levels unlock, creating a sense of communal urgency. The limited-edition Chips Ahoy cookie package design is collectible-worthy and can be a spot on any fan's shelf.
Overall, the campaign blends nostalgia, fandom, and interactive digital experiences to create a multi-sensory engagement that appeals to both longtime Chips Ahoy fans and Stranger Things enthusiasts alike.
- This limited-edition Chips Ahoy cookie, inspired by Stranger Things, isn't just a snack; it's a piece of social-media-worthy pop-culture entertainment.
- The Stranger Things-themed AR game, included in the Chips Ahoy collaboration, immerses fans in the Upside Down universe, bridging the gap between entertainment and interactive digital experiences.
