Brand Upside Down?

Happy Friday, Sippers,

How was your week?

I'm writing this sip from Whistler, legs burning from the slopes but heart full from a very different kind of marathon: Stranger Things.

For the past few weeks (months), my youngest daughter and I have had a standing appointment with the Upside Down. One episode a day. No skips.

It's been a highlight. But as a brand builder, I couldn't help but notice that while she was watching a supernatural thriller, I was watching a masterclass in Nostalgia Marketing.

I've written about nostalgia before, but seeing it through her eyes, who wasn't even born in the 80s and yet felt a deep connection to it, feels different. Especially now, in 2026, as we see the "10-year cycle" hitting hard: social feeds are suddenly flooded with the blurry, unfiltered aesthetics of 2016. 

Whether it's 1986 or 2016, the trend is clear: we are seeking "emotional refuges" in times that felt simpler.

Stranger Things isn't just a show; it's a brand ecosystem that treats the past like an operating system. Here are three ways they leveraged the "Wayback Machine" to build a global phenomenon:

1. The Multi Sensory Hook | The synth-wave intro is an instant "audio logo." Music is the shortest path to an emotion. The show uses "bangers" to anchor scenes in a specific feeling that triggers an immediate psychological response. Here are our favourites

• Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) | Kate Bush

• Master of Puppets | Metallica

• Should I Stay or Should I Go |  The Clash

• Never Ending Story | Gaten Matarazzo & Gabriella Pizzolo

• Material Girl | Madonna 

• Psycho Killer | Talking Heads

2. The Organic Artifacts | Remember Eleven's obsession with Eggo waffles? It wasn't a paid placement in Season 1; it was a narrative choice that led to a 14% sales spike. 

When a brand fits the story naturally, it doesn't feel like an ad; it feels like a piece of that world. Other brands that seamlessly became part of the Hawkins lore include:

• Casio | The iconic calculator watches worn by the boys.

• Nike | The "Cortez" and "Tailwind" |  sneakers that defined 80s youth.

• JVC |  The clunky camcorders used to capture the supernatural.

• Schwinn | Those high-rise handle bikes that were the ultimate "getaway vehicles."

• Burger King | A centrepiece of the Starcourt Mall era.

• KFC |  Used as a dinner-table staple that grounded the families in reality.

3. Turning Failure into Gold |  Coca-Cola literally brought back "New Coke" (the 1985 disaster) as a limited-run tie-in. They took one of the biggest brand blunders in history and turned it into a cult-favorite marketing win. They aren't the only ones flipping the script on the past:

• Polaroid: Once declared bankrupt, now a lifestyle staple for Gen Z via Retrospekt.

• Dungeons & Dragons: Once a "basement hobby", now a mainstream juggernaut.

• RadioShack: Leaning into their 80s/90s peak to find a new voice in the digital age.

• Levi's: Bringing back the exact 1985 cuts and labels seen on the characters.

The 2026 Twist: High Tech, High Touch

Working at Google, I see firsthand that "old school" doesn't mean "anti-tech." In fact, the most successful brands today are using AI to personalize the past. We aren't just looking at generic 80s posters anymore; we're using technology to create "Faux-stalgia"; experiences that feel like they belonged to a past that never actually existed. 

Think of it as the "Polaroid Principle." As highlighted in a recent Hustle piece, companies like Retrospekt have made millions refurbishing analog cameras because in a world of infinite cloud storage, we crave the "friction" of a physical photo.

AI doesn't replace that craving; it enhances it. We use high-end tech to find, restore, and share these analog moments faster and more vividly than ever before.

It's about using the best of today to celebrate the best of yesterday.

The Sip Takeaway | How to Build Your "Time Machine"

If you're building a brand, your brand, your personal brand, or leading a team, don't just look for "what's next." Look for what lasts.

• Scale your humanity | Like Stranger Things, using modern CGI to recreate a 1980s mall; use your digital tools to deliver an "analog" feeling—trust, warmth, and shared history.

• Find your "Eggo" | What is the one non-business thing you are obsessed with that makes you human? Share it. Artifacts create connections.

• Embrace the "2016" Energy |  Don't be afraid to be a little "unfiltered." In an era of AI-generated perfection, the brands that win are the ones that feel human, tactile, and maybe even a little bit "blurry" around the edges.

My youngest and I might be done with the show for now, but the lessons stick. 

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to look at what made us feel safe, curious, and excited back then, and then use every modern tool in our kit to bring that feeling back to life.

Stay thirsty,

See you next week