Gatorade Partners With 'Stranger Things' To Reboot Its Iconic 1987 Ad Campaign

Just when fans thought "Stranger Things" couldn't get more nostalgic, Gatorade is taking things straight back to 1987, with a supernatural twist. The iconic sports drink is partnering with Netflix for the show's fifth and final season, bringing back its legendary "No Ordinary Thirst Quencher" campaign with a Hawkins-approved remix: "No Ordinary Athlete." The collab blends Gatorade's vintage energy with "Stranger Things"' signature mix of heart, heroism, and horror. Designed to fuel the extraordinary, the campaign celebrates the show's ultimate fight to save Hawkins and the athletes who push beyond the ordinary.

At the center of the campaign is a fan-favorite straight from Gatorade history: the Citrus Cooler. Initially launched in the late '80s, the bold orange flavor is making a limited-edition comeback with custom retro packaging and a collectible twist.

Each bottle features one of five main "Stranger Things" characters, Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin, with a special "Upside Down" edition rounding out the set. The collectible bottles don't just hydrate, but they double as nostalgic keepsakes for longtime fans of both the drink and the series.

The limited-edition Citrus Cooler lineup is now available at retailers nationwide, giving fans a chance to grab a piece of Hawkins history and taste a blast from the past.

Launching November 3, Gatorade's 30-second "No Ordinary Athlete" hero spot brings the partnership to life with cinematic flair. Narrated by Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, a real-life "Stranger Things" superfan, the ad merges athletic grit with sci-fi energy, showing how Gatorade powers those who push beyond limits, even when facing the unknown.

From gym floors to the eerie glow of the Upside Down, the spot celebrates extraordinary determination, both on and off the field. Fans can catch the ad across digital and social channels beginning this week.

To make sure fans feel the full force of the nostalgia, Gatorade is also staging massive OOH takeovers in Times Square, Sunset Boulevard, and Cleveland's Huntington Bank Field, home to Garrett himself. The bold displays fuse Hawkins-inspired visuals with the brand's retro 1987 aesthetic, creating the ultimate collision between old-school sports energy and supernatural suspense.

As if the collab needed more flair, Gatorade is also releasing two limited-edition merch capsules, the "1987 Hawkins Capsule" and the "Upside Down Capsule." Each includes "Stranger Things"-inspired apparel, vintage-style Gatorade towels, collectible shippers, and throwback accessories that feel straight out of Hawkins High. Together, the apparel and drink drops build a bridge between eras, a love letter to the days of sweatbands, mixtapes, and monster hunts.

"For over 60 years, Gatorade, the OG sports drink, has fueled the world's greatest athletes," Anuj Bhasin, SVP of Marketing for Gatorade, said. "Now in 1987 Hawkins, the crew is gearing up for the final battle with Gatorade, choosing no ordinary thirst quencher to fuel the extraordinary. This collaboration celebrates our authentic 1980s heritage by reviving iconic products and ads from our vault and pulling them into the Upside Down."

The "Stranger Things" x Gatorade "No Ordinary Athlete" campaign officially kicked off on November 3, with limited-edition Citrus Cooler bottles available nationwide. Fans can join the celebration, collect all six bottles, and fuel their inner Hawkins hero, because in this final chapter, saving the world starts with staying hydrated.

And the countdown to the end has officially begun. The fifth and final season of "Stranger Things" will unfold in three parts, with Volume 1 arriving November 26, 2025, Volume 2 dropping December 25, 2025, and the series finale closing out the year on December 31, 2025.

Filming wrapped in December 2024 after a year of production delays tied to Hollywood's strikes. The story picks up in the fall of 1987, uniting Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin for one last mission to find and destroy Vecna, who's vanished after the Battle of Hawkins. Meanwhile, the government has quarantined the town and is hunting Eleven.