KFC’s Hawkins Fried Chicken activation taps global Stranger Things campaign

KFC’s Stranger Things collaboration is hitting Australian screens and restaurants this week, with the brand’s Hawkins Fried Chicken platform now running across Australia, South Korea and the UK as part of Netflix’s global rollout for the show’s final season.

The Australian leg included a two-day “subterranean KFC” pop-up inside Sydney’s abandoned Wynyard Tunnels, recreating an ’80s Hawkins diner and giving fans an early taste of the new Upside Down Double. The activation ran ahead of the product’s nationwide launch on 2 December.

Despite wrapping last week, the creative platform remains timely, with Stranger Things’ final season now streaming and KFC rolling out the Upside Down Double across the country.

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The collaboration blends KFC’s chicken-obsessed brand world with Stranger Things’ themes of adventure and nostalgia, following a cohesive global creative platform developed in the UK and adapted across three markets. 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to unite the passionate KFC and Stranger Things fandoms, not only through our immersive Hawkins Fried Chicken experience, but also by bringing the deliciously strange Upside Down Double to restaurants nationwide,” Vanessa Rowed, CMO at KFC Australia, said.

The experiential setup featured a Stranger Things tunnel entrance, recreated 1987 diner, free KFC meals, revived ’80s menu items and the debut of the new Stranger Sauce. Fans can still buy exclusive Stranger Things x KFC merch through the brand’s website, with proceeds supporting the KFC Youth Foundation.

The Upside Down Double is available nationally until 5 January.