20 Years Before 2000: Stranger Things 4: The Food!

Friday, June 3, 2022

Stranger Things 4: The Food!

I have been a fan of Stranger Things since it debuted on Netflix in 2016, so the 3 year wait for season 4 was killing me! I loved season 3, but it left me wanting more. Luckily for us fans part 1 of season 4 dropped last week and I really enjoyed watching it with my wife and daughter. I got both of them hooked on the show and have even sucked them in to all the tie ins that have come along with the success of Stranger Things. Nothing can top the Baskin Robbins marketing from 2019 when they transformed their stores into Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream parlors, but I was excited to see this cryptic web page pop up for Domino's a few weeks ago.

I was hoping we would get a fantastic 80's themed, interactive version of Domino's pizza stores, but that was not to be. We got a fairly lame "Mind Ordering" app that doesn't even work on my phone for some compatibility reason! In my opinion the app was a bust, but at least we got...

these SWEET retro 80's Domino's Pizza boxes. The boxes hide all sorts of little Stranger Things Easter eggs. If you get one, I suggest you check every nook & cranny for some Hawkins inspired fun! The other cool thing about this promotion was the ad promoting the campaign. It features Dustin & Lucas going to their local Domino's, when all of a sudden strange things start to happen!

The app may have been a miss for me, but this promotional campaign was a sure fire home run! The next cool food tie-in for Stranger Things season 4 came to us courtesy of Doritos!

Each bag of Doritos is adorned with the creepy image of a Demogorgon getting ready to strike. I love the design of this villain. It is one of the coolest monster creations that I have seen in a long time, but just as the evil of the Upside Down has spread all over Hawkins...

the Stranger Things branding made it's way over to the Doritos 3Ds bags! I have never tried this "Spicy Ranch" flavor before, but it is fantastic! Myself and my daughter snacked on these while we watched the first few episodes of season 4 and we were not disappointed in the flavor or the excitement of the new season! You may have noticed the "FREE TICKET" graphics on each of these bags and that's the really cool thing about this crossover. On June 23rd there will be a concert "Live From The Upside Down" featuring Corey Heart, Soft Cell, The Go-Go's and for some unknown reason Charlie XCX. You get to view this streaming concert for free after you scan your bag of Doritos. You better believe I already scanned and have my passes ready for the show! Check out the add below for more deets on this concert event!

Another oddity from the rush of Stranger Things foods are these Skinny Butcher "Crazy Crispy Chick'N Nuggets".

From what I've seen so far, there is no tie to the show. Nobody eats these nuggets, the Skinny Butcher is not a brand from the show and were "Plant Based" meat items even a thing in the 80's? Anyway, I was suckered in based on the Stranger Things logo on the box and honestly, these weren't that bad. My wife threw them in the air fryer and my kids even enjoyed them. Still scratching my head on the connection to Stranger Things though? Do they raise plant based chickens in the Upside Down?

By far, my favorite Stranger Things Season 4 food has to be these Surfer Boy frozen pizzas from Walmart. Surfer Boy Pizza is a fictional California based pizza place created specifically for the show. Jonathan's friend Argyle works at the shop and acts as the comedic relief during the gang's trip across America to find Eleven. I like his character. He has some flaws, but hey, we all do! Anyway, back to the pizza, Surfer Boy Pizza comes in 4 flavors: Pineapple Jalapeno, Pepperoni, Supreme and Multi-Meat. So far we have tried the Pineapple Jalapeno & Multi-Meat. They are not bad! If you feel like calling Surfer Boy Pizza in an attempt to order your own za, you can actually call Argyle at 805-45-PIZZA and don't forget to try before you deny!