How Stranger Things Used a Phone Line to Create a Transmedia Fan Experience

Ahead of the release of the fifth and final series of Stranger Things, Netflix and Microsoft teamed up to give fans a way to visit Hawkins like never before! Instead of a traditional promotional push, they built an immersive transmedia campaign where fans did not simply watch events unfold. They stepped inside them.

Fans already care deeply about Hawkins and its characters. They have followed the story for years, speculated about mysteries, and grown attached to its world. But with two global fan communities coming together, the challenge wasn’t awareness. It was connection.

How do you bring together longtime Stranger Things fans and introduce new audiences to Microsoft Flight Simulator in a way that feels natural, personal, and authentic to both worlds?

At the center of that experience was an unexpected channel: a phone line powered by Telzio.

In December 2025, Microsoft Flight Simulator launched a Stranger Things 5 expansion allowing players to explore a full 1:1 replica of Hawkins.

For the first time, Stranger Things fans could visit Hawkins themselves via Microsoft Flight Simulator, navigating the town themselves, flying across familiar locations and taking part in Murray’s smuggling operation through a series of missions designed to help save Hawkins from Vecna.

The town was no longer just something viewers watched. It became a place they could enter and help protect. To bring this experience to audiences worldwide, Boo Agency developed a fully integrated campaign spanning video, social channels, CRM activations, gaming environments, and large-scale out-of-home placements.

But rather than revealing everything at once, the campaign encouraged fans to uncover the experience step by step. Each touchpoint led naturally to the next, rewarding curiosity and participation.

And that journey began in an unexpected way.

The Entry Point: An 80s Commercial With a Secret

Fans first encountered the campaign through an in-world, 80s-style travel commercial promoting Hawkins Heli-Tours, a fictional business created as a cover for Murray’s recruitment efforts.

At first glance, the commercial felt like a playful, nostalgic ad pulled straight from the Stranger Things universe. But attentive viewers noticed something unusual.

Hidden naturally inside the commercial was a phone number. The instruction to call in the commercial didn’t feel obvious, just a part of the inner world of Hawkins Heli-Tours. But it was a detail waiting to be discovered by observant and curious fans.

And those who dialed the number found themselves crossing into the story.

Using a Phone Line as a Story Gateway in a Transmedia Campaign

Fans who called the number heard Murray himself, voiced by actor Brett Gelman, leaving a voicemail message that included a secret code unlocking the next step in the experience.

This moment felt different from typical campaign interactions. The phone line did not feel like marketing. It felt like discovery. Fans felt they had uncovered something hidden, something intended only for those willing to dig deeper.

What began as curiosity about a commercial became participation in the story itself. And because the interaction happened through a one-to-one listening experience, it felt personal. For a moment, Murray was not speaking to millions of viewers. He was speaking directly to each caller.

But the journey did not end there. The call was only the beginning.

How Voice Connected Video, Gaming, and Digital Experiences

The voicemail directed fans to an 80s-inspired Compuserve-style website, where the experience continued.

There, players could learn more about in-game missions, unlock additional story elements, win prizes, and download the Stranger Things 5 expansion. Each step pulled fans deeper into the campaign, transforming them from viewers into participants invested in Hawkins’ fate.

The phone call acted as the bridge connecting video, gaming, and digital interaction. Instead of isolated marketing moments, fans experienced a continuous journey across platforms.

And while each interaction felt personal, the campaign itself was reaching enormous scale.

Scaling the Experience Across Channels

The Hawkins Heli-Tours commercial rolled out across Xbox’s YouTube channel and Microsoft-owned social and CRM platforms, reaching audiences globally. Offline, the campaign expanded further through a five-day takeover of the Microsoft Cube in Times Square, generating more than three million estimated impressions.

But no matter how large the launch became, every phone call remained a one-to-one interaction inside the Stranger Things universe.

And fans quickly began encouraging each other to take part. If you’re curious to see how previous Stranger Things activations also used phone experiences to connect with fans, you can read our earlier campaign breakdown here.

From Fan Reaction to Real Impact

Thousands of fans dialed the number, and social platforms quickly filled with viewers encouraging others to call and discover what waited on the other end. The real proof of success wasn’t just call volume. Fans weren’t asking if the number worked. They were telling others to experience it themselves. Curiosity became shared discovery, and the phone line turned into a natural part of the Stranger Things conversation.

In a world of endless scrolling, voice still creates something rare: a moment that feels direct and personal. For a few minutes, callers weren’t just watching Hawkins struggle. They felt part of saving it. Behind that experience, Telzio powered the phone system that allowed the campaign to scale globally while preserving a seamless, in-world interaction for every caller.

The technology stayed invisible. The story stayed central. And sometimes, that’s exactly what great infrastructure is supposed to do.

Brands looking to create memorable campaign and customer interactions through voice can rely on phone systems like Telzio, using solutions such as toll-free numbers and on-hold messaging to turn simple phone calls into part of the experience.