Gatorade and Stranger Things Take Us Back to 1987

With glass bottles, a retro jingle ... and Vecna

Gatorade teamed up with Netflix to give a vintage jingle new life in Stranger Things’ Upside Down. 

We’re back in 1987 with “No Ordinary Athlete,” a play on the brand’s “No Ordinary Thirst Quencher” campaign… from the ’80s, of course. Narrated by Myles Garrett—defensive end for the Cleveland Browns and ST super-fan—the :30 from TBWA\Chiat\Day L.A. shows the role Gatorade plays in both real-world performance and the Upside Down (where they’re hoping to save the world).

“Being able to bring what I do on the field and apply it to the ‘No Ordinary Athlete’ campaign has been an incredible experience, and doing it with Gatorade made it even better,” says Garrett.

The work is running on social and digital and during Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL games.

When the final season of Stranger Things drops this month, the brand will launch a 1987 Hawkins Capsule and Upside Down Capsule, with vintage apparel, retro Gatorade towels and more. 

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

(The biggest night in sports marketing is almost here. Celebrate this year’s creative champions at the 2025 Clio Sports Awards, hosted by ESPN’s Katie Feeney. Tickets available now.)