As the final season of Stranger Things begins rolling out on Netflix, Telus is inviting fans into its own version of the Upside Down. In select stores across the country, the telecommunications company has introduced immersive displays that re-create scenes from the series, drawing on the show’s familiar 1980s atmosphere to promote its Stream+ bundle. The activation marks one of the more ambitious examples of experiential marketing to appear in Canadian telecom retail as the streaming landscape becomes increasingly competitive.
The first four episodes of the season are now available on Netflix, with another three scheduled to arrive on Christmas Day and a two-hour finale released on New Year’s Eve. Telus has timed the pop ups to track the staggered rollout, keeping the installations open until January 19. By placing the displays at high-traffic malls during the holiday rush, the company hopes to reach fans at a moment when interest in the franchise is at its peak.
Immersive Displays in Four Canadian Cities
Each Telus Stranger Things pop up features a compact walk-through experience housed inside the carrier’s stores. The installations include a Demogorgon photo display and a set of bikes arranged to evoke memorable moments from the series. Visitors can pose with the props, share photos online and enter a national draw for a prize pack valued at $700. The items include a branded record player, a Hawkins Tigers bomber jacket and a themed holiday sweater, all designed to appeal to fans of the show.
The displays are located at CF Toronto Eaton Centre from December 3 to January 19, Calgary Southcentre Mall from December 5 to January 19, Quebec’s CF Fairview Pointe-Claire from December 4 to January 19 and Kelowna’s Orchard Park Mall from December 6 to January 19. While the installations are modest in scale, they offer a brief opportunity to step into Hawkins, creating a retail destination that aims to mix entertainment with product education.
During the visit, staff will explain how Stream+ works. The bundle includes Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video and begins at $10 per month for ad-supported tiers or $25 per month for premium ad-free access. Telus has been promoting the package as a way to consolidate streaming costs, noting that the bundle offers significant savings compared to paying for each service individually.
Entertainment and Telecom Interests Converge
For Netflix, the partnership enables a physical presence during a critical moment for one of its biggest global properties. The Stranger Things franchise has long incorporated experiential activations into its marketing campaigns, often drawing large audiences at retailers such as Target, Primark and Aldo. These installations serve as opportunities for fans to interact with props and environments that loosely mimic the show, sustaining conversation and social media activity between episode drops.
By collaborating with Telus, Netflix extends this strategy into Canadian telecom retail, a setting where customers are often reviewing subscriptions or making decisions about content platforms. The Telus Stranger Things pop up therefore functions as a cultural touchpoint inside a venue that is traditionally more associated with data plans and phone upgrades than themed displays.
The partnership also reflects a broader shift in how streaming services approach promotional opportunities. With many households reconsidering which platforms they subscribe to, Netflix gains visibility in an environment where consumers are already thinking about digital entertainment. The pop ups are positioned to catch attention from holiday shoppers as well as existing Telus customers who may not yet be familiar with Stream+.
