Built to run using only technology available in 1985, Operation Scoop Snoop began as a television commercial and became a real-world rabbit hole. Across the first ten days after Stranger Things 3 premiered, fans moved from their screens to Baskin-Robbins stores, decoded physical clues, dialed secret phone numbers and entered an old-school computer network to help close portals to other dimensions.
The TV commercial opened the door
At midnight on July 4, cable channels began airing a perfectly ordinary-looking Scoops Ahoy spot featuring Steve and Robin. A phone number appeared at the end. Curious fans who called it heard the first invitation into the game.
Then Scoops Ahoy became real
We transformed Baskin-Robbins’ busy Burbank location into the Starcourt Mall ice cream parlor, recreating the nautical fixtures, sailor uniforms, menus and show-inspired flavors—including USS Butterscotch. A custom Scoops Ahoy ice cream truck extended the experience to Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica Pier, the London Hotel and the Stranger Things premiere. Opening-week coverage from BuzzFeed and The Hollywood Reporter helped turn the store into a must-see destination before fans even knew how deep the mystery would go.
The clue was hiding beside the ice cream
The commercial instructed fans to visit a store and find the USS Butterscotch flavor strip. That strip—distributed to every Baskin-Robbins in America—contained a Morse-code message. Nearby, a Russian cipher wheel offered another clue. The physical retail experience was now the trailhead for the ARG.
A second call revealed the network
Decoding the strip produced another phone number and a password. The next recording became more ominous, instructing players to grab a pen and write down a command that looked like nonsense until they discovered SSH: a pre-browser way to connect directly to a remote computer.
The terminal became the game
Typing the address into Terminal, PowerShell or Command Prompt opened a fully realized 1985 computer world. Players completed onboarding and entered ten days of green-and-black ASCII missions, arcade challenges, research puzzles and cryptic assignments built around Russian operatives opening portals across the globe.
A chatbot made the story personal
More than 160 pages of official story powered the experience. At its center was SHPION7, a conversational chatbot who acted as each player’s handler, assigned daily missions and made the text-only world feel alive. The narrative ran alongside the season without spoiling it, while remaining true to the show’s 1985 technology and tone.
Press, Reddit and Discord turned the chase into a live event
On Reddit, players built a running mission log, posted screenshots, traded theories and helped one another decode clues as each noon update arrived. The thread became a gateway to the game’s Discord community, where thousands of daily messages turned individual discoveries into collective progress. At the same time, Adweek introduced readers to the 1985-tech spy game while it was still active, and ARGNet tracked its missions through the July 14 finale. Press and social did more than recap the campaign: they gave new fans a trail to follow, amplified each daily reveal and kept anticipation building between mission drops. Real-time community management guided the growing conversation without breaking the fiction.
The finale went fully analog
After closing the final portal, players had to use one last piece of era-appropriate technology: a fax machine. They faxed in the answer to the concluding puzzle for a chance to win a set visit and free ice cream for life. A final leaderboard rewarded the top eleven operatives.
Credits
Awards
- Primetime Emmy AwardsNominee — Outstanding Interactive Extension of a Linear Program
- Webby AwardsTwo-time Winner — Branded Content (Webby Winner and People’s Voice Winner)
- AICP NextWinner — Branded Content & Entertainment; Winner — Integrated Campaign; 3 Shortlists
- ANDY AwardsWinner — Idea; Winner — Craft
- Clio Awards2 Bronze — Experience / Activation; Games
- The One Show7 Shortlists across games, technology, experiential and integrated campaign
Press
- BuzzFeedA Stranger Things Scoops Ahoy Pop-Up Just Opened—and Its Hidden Clues Had Fans Asking Questions
- AdweekBaskin-Robbins and Netflix Made a Spy Game for Stranger Things That Uses Only 1985 Tech
- The DrumStranger Things’ Scoops Ahoy Brought to Life by Netflix and Baskin-Robbins
- CBS NewsStranger Things Season 3 Product Placement Boosts Relevance for Hundreds of Brands
- The Hollywood ReporterStranger Things Ice Cream Shop Scoops Ahoy Pops Up in Burbank
- Ad AgeNetflix Transformed a Baskin-Robbins Store Into Stranger Things Ice Cream Parlor Scoops Ahoy
- BustleThe Stranger Things 3 Phone Numbers Actually Work, but They Hint at Even More Mysteries to Unravel
- EaterThe Ice Cream Shop From Stranger Things Pops Up in LA
- All Hallows GeekKeep the Fun of Stranger Things 3 Going by Joining Operation Scoop Snoop
- ARGNetSpycraft and Sundaes With the Stranger Things ARG