Recently, a pop-up bar in Chicago received a cease and desist letter via Netflix’s legal counsel due to the nature of the bar.

The bar in question, called The Upside Down, was themed heavily based off of the hit Netflix Original Series titled, Stranger Things. The pop-up featured Eggo waffle garnished cocktails on its menu (Eggo Waffles being a staple food choice for one of the characters on the show) and mocked up versions of different filming sets from the series. The bar ended up being a hit with Chicago locals shortly after opening.

Due to the pop-up bar’s rapidly increasing popularity, it didn’t take long for Netflix to catch wind and have one of their lawyers write up the letter. Despite the pop-up not being allowed to extend past its 6 week run, which ends in September, Netflix seemed to be a good sport about it. It appears they even chose a lawyer who was a die-hard Stranger Things fan to write up the letter, which you can view here.

The show’s popularity has not gone unnoticed, even the Promotional Products industry has recognized the show’s success, as well as admired their use of traditional marketing techniques.

With that being said, there’s no need to fret Stranger Things fans! Even though the pop-up bar may be on its way out, there are many ways for you to immerse yourself in the series, one example being promotional products.

Netflix recently teamed with Hot Topic to sell all sorts of Stranger Things promotional items — with the streaming service’s stamp of approval.

One of the promotional items is a quarter sleeve shirt which says, “Team Barb” referring to one of the shows characters that mysteriously disappears a few episodes into season 1. Whether it was her fiery red hair or her no nonsense take on life, Barb’s character managed to gain a cult following almost instantly after the show was released.

Another notable promo is this ceramic mug featuring a heat reactive image of string lights wrapped around the product. When you pour in a hot drink of your choice an ominous message from the series is revealed in the lights: R…U…N. This truly showcases the creativity that can be implemented when using promotional products!

Finally, one more mention-worthy promo is this pin featuring silhouettes of the main characters on their bikes (which, they often are riding in the series) paired with the quote,”friends don’t lie.” Another fan-favorite character, Eleven, said this during a pivotal moment in the series, hence the quote’s notoriety to fans.

When it comes to promoting popular television shows or movies, it’s all about listening to and learning from the fan base. Create your promotional products based off of favorite quotes or scenes from the show. Feature favorite characters or create a look-a-like promo based off of something a character owns or wears. This ensures your promos will be must-haves for the fans!

The fun aspect about a show like Stranger Things is that it includes a lot of nostalgia since it’s based in the early 80’s. This can allow opportunities to bring products that were once popular, back to the forefront. Cue the slap bracelets and 80’s style sunglasses!

Stranger Things enhanced the ever growing popularity of the show through fun promotional products that aligned to the brand image they were trying to push. Thousands of promotional products are available for you to customize, too. Contact HALO for help finding your niche promotional product to help elevate your business.

Don’t forget… season 2 of Stranger Things will be released on Netflix Friday, October 27th. Prepare to binge watch!