On Friday, May 29, Stranger Things returned to Netflix for season 4 of the supernatural hit series set in the 1980s. Dude had planned something rather bigger than the usual TV promo. It transformed one of the city’s most famous landmarks, Piazza del Duomo – home of the Duomo gothic cathedral – back to the ‘80s, bringing together Milanese nostalgia and the extraordinary world of Stranger Things.
The activation kicked off on Thursday evening with a massive projection mapping on the facade of Palazzo Carminati – the historical building in front of the Dome – during a special preview of season 4 episode one. The Upside Down rift opened up on the building revealing some scenes from the series and culminating with a cryptic message that promised to bring back Milan from 2022 to 1986.
Then while Milan slept, Dude turned the entire Piazza back in time to the decade in which Milan thrived, the decade which put the city on the map, and when it became one of the world’s fashion and design capitals. The city woke to find Piazza Duomo adorned with famous advertising banners reminiscent of the Milanese ‘80s with vintage brands such as Polaroid and Coca Cola, along with some brands from the fictional world of the show, such as the Hawkins Post or Surfer Boy Pizza.
The rest of the square featured an immersive take-over that offered citizens a nostalgic trip: groups of rockers and ‘80s hipsters roamed the square, past editions of national newspapers and magazines were available to read at a news stand, there was a roller disco for passers-by to try and much more. The nostalgia overload was of course injected with Stranger Things vibes and icons: the fictional fast-food restaurant, Surfer Boy Pizza, heavily featured in the show, had its own stand in the square next to an original vintage Milanese bus that offered an on-board trip into the famous Upside Down.
Davide Labò, creative director, Dude, stated, “When you work on such an iconic show as Stranger Things is, you always need to go big. Not only in terms of creative idea, but also when it comes to creative execution. Stranger Duomo is a great example of teamwork, where everyone involved – from Netflix to the production teams – aimed to do something memorable.”
Lua Riva, creative director, Dude, added, “We’re very happy that this big idea means taking Milan back in the ‘80s through a physical and immersive activation, especially after the past couple of years of not being able to do activations like these.”
Credits
Agency: Dude
Chief Creative Officers & Partners: Livio Basoli & Lorenzo Picchiotti
Creative Directors: Davide Labò & Luca Riva
Senior Copywriter: Cecilia Rocchetta
Art Director: Giovanna Mocchetti
Junior Copywriter: Tommaso Spada
Junior Art Director: Oscar Frizzi
Head of Content: Ludovica D’Aquino
Social Media Creative: Alessandro Magnani
Social Art Director: Luca Poldelmengo
Social Copywriter: Elisabetta Cavanna
Design Director: Alessio Salatino
Graphic Designer: Niccolò Campanini
Event Copywriter: Tania Loschi
Event Art Director: Paolo Vendramini
Digital PR Manager: Vittoria Caron
Strategy Director: Marco Mammino
Social Media Strategist: Elisa Fiorentini
Client Director: Elena Panza
Account Director: Piera Colasante
Account Manager: Giulia Visconti
Event:
Head of Events & Special Projects: Laura Boy
Project Manager: Cristina Fichera
Production Directors: Alessandro Spinelli & Matteo Stopper
Executive Producer: Giorgio Zattoni
Production Assistants: Beatrice Latini &Martina Augelli
Technical Partners D&D International Group
Video:
Director: Alessandro Best
Integrated Production Director: Matteo Pecorari
Senior Producer: Maria Chiara Muglia
Producers: Valeria Mazzotta & Camilla Romeo
Junior Producer: Giovanna Di Stefano
Head of Physical Production: Simone Raddi
Junior Production Coordinator: Francesca Di Donna
Post Production Supervisor: Seba Morando
Post Producer: Miriam Ottina
Video Editor: Gian Luca Elasti
Video Editor Assistants: Valentina Renna & Diego Gonzalez
Motion Graphic: Gabriele Frigimelica
