Coca-Cola has announced it will be putting New Coke back on the market as part of a partnership with Netflix for the third season of Stranger Things.The drink has often popped up in the nostalgic '80s series, and the beverage company revealed it'll be popping open a limited release of New Coke as part of the promotional campaign for the Duffer brothers' sci-fi coming-of-age adventures starting May 23.The directors announced the collaboration with a "First Love" trailer, which will run in theaters starting May 24, showcasing New Coke and the romance it helps spread throughout the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Among the couples feeling the love are Mike and Eleven, who are caught sharing a kiss, as well as Steve, who's going on a date with a new girl, only to be harassed by Dustin.
The spot doubles as a commercial for the drink and, with the series now shifting to the summer of '85, it makes perfect sense as the product placement syncs up with the actual release of the drink 35 years ago.
Released in April 1985, New Coke was the Atlanta-based company's attempt to regain market share. The new recipe didn't make any fans, however, causing a huge backlash among drinkers of the original. It took just three months after the release for Coca-Cola to announce it would reintroduce the old drink that summer, dubbing it Coca-Cola Classic.
As part of the limited release, on the company's online store, fans can pick up a bundle of two cans of the recipe and a limited-edition and numbered Stranger Things/Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar 8-oz. glass bottle. Coke will also set up free vending machines filled with New Coke in select cities to also build the buzz for the premiere in July.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, Cary Elwes, Jake Busey and Maya Thurman-Hawke. Season 3 will debut on Netflix on July 4.