Inside KFC’s Hawkins Fried Chicken Pop-Up Hidden Beneath Sydney
KFC balances global creative with local execution, pairing the UK’s supernatural-themed ads with Australia’s immersive Wynyard Tunnels experience.
KFC Australia opened a two-day Hawkins Fried Chicken pop-up inside Sydney's Wynyard Tunnels in late November, giving fans early access to the Upside Down Double before its nationwide launch on December 2 as part of a global Stranger Things collaboration spanning Australia, South Korea, and the UK.
The underground activation transformed abandoned tunnels into a 1980s diner recreating the show's fictional Hawkins setting. Free meals, revived menu items from the 1980s, including The Works Burger and 80s Bean Salad, and the debut of Stranger Sauce drew fans during lunch and dinner sessions.
"We're absolutely thrilled to unite the passionate KFC and Stranger Things fandoms, not only through our immersive Hawkins Fried Chicken experience, but also by bringing the deliciously strange Upside Down Double to restaurants nationwide," said Vanessa Rowed, CMO at KFC Australia.
Limited Experiential Access Drives Social Reach
The two-day window created urgency ahead of the product's 35-day availability period running through January 5, 2026. The Upside Down Double, priced from AU$10.95 (~US$6.80), features an inverted design mirroring the show's supernatural parallel universe.
Exclusive merchandise, including denim jackets and t-shirts, remains available through KFC's website, with 100% of proceeds supporting the KFC Youth Foundation's work with ReachOut Australia and Black Dog Institute.
The activation follows a coordinated global creative platform developed in the UK and adapted across three markets. Mother London created KFC UK's parallel campaign featuring a Stranger Things Burger and supernatural-themed advertising showing staff battling otherworldly forces to deliver chicken.
Leighton Cosseboom
Timing Pop Culture Partnerships
The collaboration launched alongside Stranger Things' final season on Netflix, aligning product availability with peak viewing periods. KFC's strategy compressed awareness through limited physical access while extending reach through the five-week menu window.
"KFC and Stranger Things fans know that when you have an obsession, you'll stop at nothing for it," said Kate Tipper, Marketing Director at KFC UK and Ireland, positioning the partnership around shared fan intensity.
The Sydney pop-up's underground location in unused transit infrastructure physically manifested the show's Upside Down concept while creating social content opportunities through immersive set design.
Leighton Cosseboom
Cross-Market Operations
South Korea's inclusion in the three-market rollout reflects Stranger Things' established audience in the country. The show's themes of 1980s nostalgia and youth-focused storytelling resonate across Asian markets, where the series maintains strong viewership.
The activation model balances global creative consistency with local market adaptation. While the UK campaign emphasized supernatural creative, Australia focused on physical experience through the Wynyard Tunnels installation.
"This unique creation innovates with KFC's iconic flavors, perfectly reflecting our partnership with Stranger Things," Rowed said of the Upside Down Double's design.
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