Stranger Things ARG
To celebrate the launch of Stranger Things S4, I helped lead Candy Digital’s creative team to build an alternate reality game (ARG) that challenged fans from across the world to work together to solve a series of interactive puzzles. This is one of the first web3 games ever launched. Below is our award submission write up:
Situation
As the exclusive digital collectibles partner of Netflix, Candy Digital was looking for an innovative way to launch its new line of Stranger Things collectibles.
Approach
Candy leveraged the unique attributes of Stranger Things fandom (they have a knack for mystery and puzzle-solving and enjoy doing so in collaboration with others) to build an interactive web campaign designed to turn viewers into active participants. Just like characters in the show, fans were challenged to discover clues and solve mysterious puzzles, some requiring collaboration with others across the globe.
How It Worked
Stranger Things season trailers have become part of the cultural zeitgeist, generating 50 million-plus views and igniting millions of conversations across social platforms. In collaboration with the show’s creators (The Duffer Brothers) and Netflix, Candy hid a visual puzzle within the official Season 4 trailer (time stamp 1:59).
The answer to the puzzle hidden within the trailer was a URL (IamHellsMaster.com) – and awaiting fans was the ticking grandfather clock from Stranger Things Season 4, counting down to the start of the game.
Once the clock hit zero, the website displayed a scene from the Stranger Things universe and included a fully interactive Lite Brite (officially licensed) where fans can use the Lite Brite just as the characters of Stranger Things did in Season 4.
Hidden within the scenes depicted on the website, in the marketing campaign content directly from Netflix, and even in the show itself, were puzzles and clues as to what a fan could draw on the browser-based Lite Brite to open up portals and progress through four levels each with a different scene from the TV show.
Winners from each of the four levels were rewarded through the blockchain with a limited edition of 16 different motion cards (based on the show’s characters).
Physical awards such as Stranger Things branded Lite Brites were awarded to the best user-created artwork on the website’s interactive Lite Brite.
Clues were hidden within one frame that was inserted in the Season 4 Trailer.
Using the overlay and select frames from the trailer, the clues led contestants to the IamHellsMaster.com site.
Using additional hints and clues, users designed illustrations on an interactive Lite Brite (officially licensed) to unlock further experiences and NFTs.
clues and user examples
custom vecna & demobat animations
In true Stranger Things fashion, a hidden bonus level tasked fans to work together to solve a final puzzle that unlocked a terrifying 3D digital “Vecna” and “Demobat”.
Both Vecna and the Demobat animations used raw 3D assets from Rodeo FX that the internal Candy team and I re-textured, re-animated, and re-lit to produce these custom animations.
Results
● 28M Views on the official Stranger Things trailer, which contained the hidden clues
● 12M Views on TikTok for user-generated content (UGC) created specifically about the I Am Hell’s Master Game
● 250k+ Game Participants
● 78% of campaign participants had a more positive perception of Netflix and Candy after engaging with this experience
● 15-minute average engagement time on the website
● $0 media spend
We were honored to receive a 2023 Honoree Webby Award for this project.
custom backplates
Motion cards
The Candy creative team developed a collection of 32 NFT Motion Cards inspired by the 16 cast members featured in the show. Presented to the right are two sample NFTs. Below is a showcase of all 32 cards, accompanied by the corresponding site layouts utilized for their sale.
platform layouts
Ticket concept
Although never released, these virtual “tickets” were concepted to allow ardent fans to view, explore, and share their collections. Additionally, these unique tickets would grant access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content, gain rare insights into the show, and unlock a treasure trove of hidden easter eggs. With an immersive journey of tracking and collecting, this innovative concept hoped to bring a fresh dimension to fandom engagement, offering a never-before-seen experience in the enigmatic world of Hawkins, Indiana.
