Rice, camera, action for Stranger Things
Absolute Post and TV icon unleash the Upside Down in Doritos x Stranger Things spot.
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Absolute unveil its latest work, a blockbuster collaboration between Netflix and Doritos to mark the return of Stranger Things.
The spot, starring legendary broadcaster Anneka Rice, blends nostalgic humour with out-of-this-world visual effects.
Created by Netflix and directed by BLOK, the spot sees a fictional chat show descend into supernatural chaos. Opening in a 1980s TV studio, with Anneka Rice de-aged to look like a younger version of herself, we see a tongue-in-cheek discussion about the strange goings-on in Hawkins, Indiana. As the conversation builds, reality itself begins to unravel. A fissure tears through the studio, plunging the set, and its unsuspecting audience, into the otherworldly chaos of the Upside Down.
"Doritos and Stranger Things is a bold match made in heaven” says Matt Watson at Sips&Bites, Pepsico. “From day one, we wanted to merge nostalgia with cutting-edge craft, making the spot feel like a lost artefact of the 1980s, before tearing that reality apart with the full force of the Upside Down. It’s an idea and script that has it all: playful, cinematic, and technically demanding in equal measure.”
Credits
View on- Agency Sips&Bites
- Production Company Outsider
- Director BLOK
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Credits
View on- Agency Sips&Bites
- Production Company Outsider
- Director BLOK
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency Sips&Bites
- Production Company Outsider
- Director BLOK
“The second we saw the Doritos x Stranger Things script, we knew there was an opportunity to do something pretty unique” say Directors BLOK." It's not every day you get to make a spot that’s part 80’s Morning TV Show, part Netflix supernatural, horror series… and being the first to extend the Stranger Things universe to the UK, made it even more exciting.”
“We love getting ambitious scripts, especially those which involve world-building and allow us to create a bespoke universe from scratch. This script allowed us to have it all, an incredible 80’s wardrobe, classic Doritos packs and TV titan, Anneka Rice, onboard as one of our presenters. We leant into the genre and went for something that had that perfect 80’s tilt, with just the right amount of ‘Partridge’. It was a lot of fun switching between that almost insincere presenter performance, and the very real, world-ending terror.
Delivering the spot required a massive post-production effort from Absolute. The team deployed cutting-edge techniques to transform Anneka Rice back into her 1980s self, perfectly aligning her look with the Stranger Things era. In addition, extensive CGI, 2D and Colour Grading work was used to craft the chilling, otherworldly atmosphere of the Upside Down, immersing viewers in the dark mirror of Hawkins that fans know so well.
Dan Lorenzini, Head of 2D at Absolute Post states: "This project was an incredible challenge from a compositing perspective. Every frame had to balance the chaos of the Upside Down with the slick feel reminiscent of a classic chat show. Integrating the countless layers and elements that go into making up a rift, created by our wonderful CG team, and incorporating de-aged footage of Anneka Rice so they all felt part of the same believable world was no small feat. BLOK were fantastic collaborators throughout; their vision and energy made the whole process not only seamless but genuinely exciting. It’s the kind of creative partnership that reminds you why we love doing what we do."
“Working with Absolute was a pleasure from start to finish” says Directors BLOK. Their work ethic, focus and attention-to-detail was a real delight to experience first-hand. The VFX work (particularly, the rift and vines) look phenomenal and stand up to the show itself. The de-aging on Anneka Rice was fantastic too, and the grade, the graphics… but the really exciting thing was that we spun the film to VHS to get a truly authentic film. So it actually exists as an actual VHS tape, which is pretty cool. The artefacts and distortions are all real and true to the period specific tape we used. The whole thing came together wonderfully and we couldn’t be happier.”
The campaign not only celebrates the arrival of the latest season of Stranger Things, but also showcases the power of visual effects in creative storytelling. By transporting audiences straight into the heart of the show’s mythology, the advert creates a spine-tingling viewing experience that fans are already talking about.
