Stranger Things 3 revives New Coke, the disaster of the 80s that you can always buy

Strange things 3 Extremely indulgent in many ways: free gore, free romantic tension and free Coca-Cola product placement.

Specifically, a rebound product: New Coke. The change of formula was launched in 1985 (the year in which Strange things 3 takes place) to mixed results. Today, the drink is considered a major commercial failure by Coca-Cola. In turn, the product is no longer available for sale for years.

Operated in the pop culture space of the 1980s, Strange things 3 Spend a surprisingly large amount of time on New Coke, whether it's making fun of the concept or using it as a reminder of previous events in the series. For those of us who were not conscious enough in 1985 to appreciate "New Coke", the product of cultural significance will probably remain a mystery. Here is the background and how Stranger Things' use the drink to take a sip of nostalgia pop.

What is New Coke?

New Coca was a version of Coca-Cola's original formula aimed at getting society out of its slump. The Coca-Cola Company was desperate: in the face of market losses in the face of increased sales by Pepsi-Cola, the company remained essentially afloat thanks to "paid-up" agreements that ensured that Coca-Cola would be the only soft drink sold on particular sites or vending machines.

In an effort to help Pepsi, Coca-Cola executives commissioned an internal project called "Project Kansas" after a widely circulated promotional image of journalist William Allen White drinking a can of Coca-Cola. After testing the new flavor in the focus groups, the result was surprisingly positive: many said they like the new flavor (though we have to get used to it), while 10 to 12% l & # 39; 39 hated it, saying that they would never buy Coke again if the formula change goes through.

The product was launched on April 23, 1985 and met with moderate success – Coca-Cola sales increased 8% over the same period last year, and the general public responded favorably. What happened so terribly wrong? Deep south, basically.

Despite a generally positive reception, a small but extremely active group of objectors – many of whom came from the southeastern United States – considered Coca-Cola an essential part of their regional identity and felt alienated by the new formula. The company was inundated with phone calls and letters complaining about the change and even ended up hiring a psychiatrist to answer his calls. The psychiatrist described how some people talked about New Coke in the same way as how they would talk about the death of a family member.

Seventy-nine days after the launch of New Coke, the company announced that it would resume producing the original formula. At the end of 1985, Clbadic Coca-Cola was better sold than New Coke and Pepsi. The new Coca-Cola continued to be sold and was eventually renamed "Coke II" in 1992. The product gradually moved out of the shelves until its final shutdown in 2002.

Despite the fact that New Coke has been an overwhelming commercial failure, many suspect that this whole affair has strengthened Coca-Cola's original brand and strengthened its position in the broader US climate, particularly in its competition against Pepsi.

What role does New Coke play in Stranger things 3?

New Coke appears in Strange things 3 with a slightly critical lens, but also to seduce the viewers by picking up the notorious drink. Coca-Cola is badociated with Netflix to resell New Coke in a "New Coke Collector's Box and Stranger Things 1985, Limited Edition". There are only two cans of New Coke and two bottles of Coca Coke and Coca Zero with Stranger Things. return.

In episode 1, Karen Wheeler sips her in a straw by the pool while waiting for Billy, the lifeguard lifeguard that all the moms in the pool are thirsty for. This is not particularly consistent, but it completes the striking atmosphere of her very curly hair, her blue and purple neon eyeshadow, her two-tone swimsuit and her thick necklace.

[[[[Ed. Note: The rest of this article contains spoilers for Strange things 3.]

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Later in the season, Lucas and Mike have a lively debate on New Coke at a dangerous time when they should be talking about almost everything else. This is an excellent example of this season's absolute comic timing: while Eleven meditates in front of an egg freezer, Lucas opens a can of New Coca while the gang sits quietly in a circle. Mike asks disdainfully, "How can I even drink that?", To which Lucas answers with a comparison. "It's like the carpenter The thing. The original is the clbadic, no doubt. But the remake … softer, more daring, better.

The digression punctuates several slurps elongated. It's unbelievably indulgent and painfully funny as each slurp is interspersed with cuts on the horrified faces of Max, Will, Mike, Nancy and Jonathan.

The last appearance of New Coke is brief, but more poignant than the others. While taking refuge in the shopping center, Eleven extracts an empty basket of New Coke and places it on a ledge. Looking closely, she tries to crush him using his telekinesis powers, but no dice: after the bite of the fleshy monster Mind Flayer, the can does not move. The sequence recalls the eleven days of the lab, where she was charged – and managed to – crush a can of Coca-Cola using her mind. Thanks to the power of parallel product integration, Strange things indicates that Eleven's powers are extinguished, at least for the moment.

Is New Coca-Cola good?

We are here to solve the biggest mystery of Stranger Things 3. As part of a series of promotions for the new season, Netflix sent Polygon two cans of New Coke. Just like the initial launch of soda, the results were mixed.

I do not drink regular-based sugar based Coca-Cola, so my perception may be a little skewed. After tasting both the clbadic Coca-Cola and New Coca-Cola, I leaned slightly towards Coca-Cola: although slightly sweeter, the taste was less pungent and I felt the same kind of grainy film who lives in my mouth every time I drink a few sips of ordinary Coca-Cola. With a smoother attack and a smoother texture, I preferred New Coke, and several other office people subscribed.

In the end, however, the implications are relatively meaningless. You can only buy New Coke in the limited time Strange things/ Coca-Cola Store, which I would recommend only to those whose curiosity would consume them otherwise. However, it's one of the most fun links of pop culture in Stranger Things 3 – even for those for whom the 1980s are just a cultural impression rather than a memory.