Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience is a new approach to interactive theater that redefined live entertainment during the Coronavirus pandemic. This super-sized event lets consumers safely drive into the world of Stranger Things and does so successfully, with over 300,000 people attending so far, leaving more than 18,000 five-star customer reviews. This is not your average drive-in—instead it’s a multi-level theme parkstyle ride, enhanced as a car-based experience. The interactive nature of the experience connects guests to the Stranger Things brand in a meaningful and lasting way, particularly resonant after months of quarantine.

March 2020, statewide shelter-at-home orders were implemented, affecting over 40 million Californians. Restaurants, theaters, film productions and most live entertainment were shut down, putting millions out of work. The one exception seemed to be drive-in movie theaters, which can be enjoyed from the safety of consumers’ own vehicles. We challenged ourselves to create a car-based experience for Stranger Things but to a level that rivals any pre-Covid immersive theatrical production.

This experience went from concept to opening day in less than 3.5 months! Our teams worked seamlessly together to invent a safe, jubilant, never-been-done-before mix of production and operational immersion that rivals any theme-park or theater based experience. We aimed to use the Stranger Things brand to bring joy, spectacle and connection during a time of isolation.

The beloved series transforms into an immersive theatrical production using a parking structure as a light-locked story-telling environment, with expansive sets from Season 3’s iconic scenes, 90 costumed characters, in-world operational staff and otherworldly effects. As guests enter the Starcourt Mall, they’re transported to the 1980’s, surrounded by their favorite characters. Next is the Soviet Lab. Guests watch scenes unfold and listen to the narrative on their FM car radio, introducing their own vehicle as part of the storyline. Barely escaping Demogorans, they transition to the Upside Down—darkness outfitted with 50 projection screens and snow flurry “spores”. Last is the Void Theater—featuring high theatrics, aerial performances and a multimedia finale on 4,000 square feet of LED video tiles surrounding vehicles.

This ticketed event drove considerable revenue while achieving key marketing goals and customer satisfaction, changing the paradigm of how brands may reach audiences in a new way.

We wanted to merge elements of interactive theatre with theme park rides to bring a beloved IP to life in a safe entertainment during the pandemic.

We leaned heavily on our data and analytics to forecast demand, confirming which experiential elements consumers desired: immersive worldbuilding, story, in-person interactions, special effects, Demogorgon jump-scares and a COVID-safe environment.

Teams from Los Angeles, Madrid and London (remotely) joined forces to develop and produce the experience. Precise operations were key—any delays would snowball to affect other scenes and impact the pre-sold ticketed times. The last thing Angelenos want is to be trapped in traffic!

We targeted both superfans and brand newbies—people of all ages across California. Purchases were roughly 60% women / 40% men. It was popular with families.

The experience was permitted by local government agencies as a mix between a drive-in theater and a parade; a first for the city.

The infrastructure was built from scratch (electric system, stages, LED screens, lighting sequences) in a centrally located 10-story parking garage spanning 400,000 square feet, and moves 800+ cars through 16 show “pulses” nightly. Operations teams held synchronized run-throughs to reach perfection. With the help of 11 FM stations operating simultaneously and the ability to control audio signals while viewing 40 CCTV cameras, the crew constantly communicate, keeping the entire production running like clockwork.

A COVID-19 safety policy was maintained from build to present with all 250 regular staff being tested weekly in order to interact with their car-based guests. Contactless ticket scanning and food, beverage and merchandise purchases were implemented in a user-friendly app, allowing for safe customer processing and transactions.

A pre-narrative website around the Hawkins High Reunion and an in-world 1980’s streaming radio station were created for guests to engage with the experience pre- and post-show.

REACH:

PR: 182 digital pieces of coverage hitting 2.6B impressions

Social Media: 215.5M+ impressions

ENGAGEMENT:

17.7M+ social media engagements

1.23M+ reactions/comments/shares

“More Demogorgons please!”

“Been 5 times and I adore all the actors in this event!!! 100% worth it to attend!”

“Literally the best experience ever!! Absolutely loved it!!! ????????”

IMPACT:

Event announcement (8/20-26): 171k+ waitlist signups, 730k+ visitors to webpage

Sales opening phase: 30k+ cars, 100k+ guests

Event attendance to date (10/28 - 4/12): 87k+ cars, 300k+ guests, and growing

ACHIEVEMENT AGAINST BUSINESS TARGET:

We exceeded expectations for reaching Los Angelenos and were thrilled with how the experience drew attention across California. By producing a ticketed event, we were able to produce on a much larger scale than if it had been a free activation aimed only at brand awareness.