McDonald’s opens the gateway to the Upside Down
Campaign film taps into Netflix’s Stranger Things 1980s nostalgia and invites fans to relive the magic of the series through immersive experiences in and beyond the restaurants.
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Strange things are happening at Méqui. To celebrate the launch of the final season of Stranger Things, McDonald’s is unveiling a new campaign designed to transport fans straight to Hawkins, or rather, to an upside-down version of Hawkins, where everything feels familiar but comes with a Méqui-sized craving.
The adventure officially began on November 25, when the campaign crafted by GALERIA.ag hits the screens and the Stranger Things menu arrives in restaurants across Brazil, turning every McDonald’s visit into an experience for those who love mystery, nostalgia and, of course, Méqui’s irresistible taste.
“This collab between McDonald’s and Netflix for Stranger Things goes way beyond a simple partnership, it’s two universes coming together that people already have a real emotional connection with. Méqui has always been part of the conversations that count, whether on social media or in everyday life, and bringing that same warmth and nostalgia to a cultural hit like Stranger Things is really special. We blended flavour, 80s vibes and the atmosphere that defined a generation to create an experience that speaks straight to fans. It just proves that watching the show always feels more complete with Méqui,” says Ilca Sierra, Marketing Director for the Brazil Division at Arcos Dorados.
The campaign brings a full 80s vibe and kicks off with a stunt where every McDonald’s sign in Brazil and in select countries across Latin America starts flickering, in a clear nod to the opening of the film, which feels like a “lost episode” of Stranger Things.
Credits
View on- Agency Galeria/Sao Paulo
- Production Company Anonymous Content/Brazil
- Director Vellas
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Credits
View on- Agency Galeria/Sao Paulo
- Production Company Anonymous Content/Brazil
- Director Vellas
- VFX NASH/Sao Paulo
- Illustration Estudio Casa Locomotiva
- Audio Post Evil Twin Music/Brazil
- Chief Creative Officer Rafael Urenha
- Executive Creative Director Rodrigo Marangoni
- Creative Gabriel Felde
- Creative Victor Capato
- Creative Joao Zatoni
- Creative Rafael Figueiredo
- Creative Daniel De Souza Zalaf
- Creative Lucas Melo
- Creative Lais Delcelo
- Creative Joao Capusso
- Senior Executive Producer Camila Martinez
- Head of Production Lu Martins
- Production Director Magali Heinze
- Art Director Gui Marini
- DP William Etchebehere
- VFX Supervisor Cirilo Bonazzi
- Producer Flavia Gannam
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency Galeria/Sao Paulo
- Production Company Anonymous Content/Brazil
- Director Vellas
- VFX NASH/Sao Paulo
- Illustration Estudio Casa Locomotiva
- Audio Post Evil Twin Music/Brazil
- Chief Creative Officer Rafael Urenha
- Executive Creative Director Rodrigo Marangoni
- Creative Gabriel Felde
- Creative Victor Capato
- Creative Joao Zatoni
- Creative Rafael Figueiredo
- Creative Daniel De Souza Zalaf
- Creative Lucas Melo
- Creative Lais Delcelo
- Creative Joao Capusso
- Senior Executive Producer Camila Martinez
- Head of Production Lu Martins
- Production Director Magali Heinze
- Art Director Gui Marini
- DP William Etchebehere
- VFX Supervisor Cirilo Bonazzi
- Producer Flavia Gannam
Beyond the film, the campaign unfolds inside a restaurant where classic arcade machines wrap around the ordering kiosks, turning the purchase moment into something truly magical. The brand’s flagship in São Paulo has also been completely taken over by the Upside Down.
In digital, the brand connects with fans through interactive experiences such as the McDonald’s app “Retrospective,” which analyses your behaviour and reveals what kind of adventurer you would be in the Stranger Things universe.
“This campaign works so well because it brings together two worlds that are already part of people’s everyday lives. When we realised that Méqui and Stranger Things share the same emotional territory, we understood we weren’t just making a film – we were building an experience that unfolds on every front. The magic happens when the story jumps off the screen and shows up in the restaurant, in the app, at the Drive-Thru, in delivery, on social media and in every sign people see along the way. Our role was to keep that energy flowing through every touchpoint, creating a kind of portal where nostalgia, food and imagination meet and amplify each other. That’s the moment a campaign stops being just a campaign and starts becoming culture. We had McDonald’s signs flickering across different regions of Brazil, restaurants bringing in arcade machines so people could place their orders, our flagship wrapped in an immersive experience inspired by the series, and some amazing new product innovations to top it all off,” says Rodrigo Marangoni, Executive Creative Director at GALERIA.ag.
