How Stranger Things Nailed Pre-Launch Branding
TL;DR:
- Stranger Things used 80s horror design elements (ITC Benguiat font, red glow, VHS effects) to create instant nostalgia before the show aired
- Strong pre-launch branding builds emotional connections and sets expectations with your audience
- Design should tell your story before you officially launch, not just look pretty
- Visual consistency across platforms helps audiences recognise and trust your brand faster
Before Stranger Things even premiered, its branding had already won over audiences. The show's marketing team used specific visual cues – the ITC Benguiat font, that signature red glow, and grainy VHS tape effects – to instantly transport viewers back to 1980s horror films. This approach worked because it wasn't just about making things look nice. It was strategic design meant to trigger nostalgia and familiarity.
Why Your Launch Needs a Story
Branding that tells a story does more than stick in people's minds. It builds anticipation and gets people emotionally invested before they've even seen your product. When you embed genre-specific or mood-specific elements into your design, your brand starts telling its story immediately. This gets people interested and sets the right expectations.
The key benefits of story-driven branding include:
Visual consistency – Your brand becomes instantly recognisable across different platforms and touchpoints.
Emotional engagement – You connect with your audience on a personal level, making your product more appealing from the start.
Building Recognition Through Design
The Stranger Things approach shows how powerful it can be to tap into existing cultural references. The show's designers didn't reinvent the wheel – they used fonts, colours, and visual effects that people already associated with 80s horror and sci-fi. This gave the brand instant credibility and context.
You can apply this same thinking to your own projects. Consider what visual language already exists in your industry or niche. What fonts, colours, or design styles do your target audience already connect with certain feelings or experiences? Use these as starting points, then add your own twist to make them uniquely yours.
This is particularly important for digital products and services. Your audience will form an opinion about your brand within seconds of seeing it. If your visual identity immediately communicates the right message, you're already ahead of the game.
FAQs
Why should my launch include nostalgic elements?
Nostalgic elements trigger emotional responses and memories, making your brand instantly relatable and memorable. They create a shortcut to connection.
How does consistency in design affect brand recognition?
Consistent visual elements help audiences quickly recognise your brand across different platforms. This familiarity builds trust and makes your brand feel more established.
Can effective branding really impact audience anticipation?
Yes, absolutely. Good branding creates excitement and anticipation, which is crucial for building momentum around a new launch. It gets people talking before you've even released anything.
What if my product doesn't have an obvious nostalgic angle?
You don't need nostalgia specifically. The key is using visual elements that already have meaning for your audience. This could be modern design trends, industry-specific styling, or cultural references that resonate with your target market.
Jargon Buster
ITC Benguiat – A decorative serif typeface that was popular in the 1980s, particularly for horror and fantasy book covers. Stranger Things used it to instantly evoke that era.
Genre-specific elements – Design choices like fonts, colours, and visual effects that immediately suggest a particular genre or mood to viewers.
Visual consistency – Using the same design elements (fonts, colours, styling) across all your branding materials and platforms to reinforce your brand identity.
Pre-launch branding – The visual identity and messaging you use to promote your product before it officially launches.
Wrap-up
Stranger Things proves that successful pre-launch branding does more than introduce a product – it drops your audience straight into its world from the first glance. By building storytelling into your design, you create anticipation and ensure your brand sticks in people's minds long before you officially launch. Think of your initial visuals as the opening scene of a film. Make them impactful, inviting, and meaningful to your intended audience.
Ready to develop your own story-driven branding strategy? Join Pixelhaze Academy for practical courses on design, branding, and digital marketing that actually work.