• by Larissa Faw , August 11, 2016

Netflix is supporting its new "Stranger Things" paranormal series with a viral campaign designed by Doner LA. 

The effort included a Los Angeles premiere of the show last month, where Doner LA created stages to prank audience members after the viewing. Videos were created to showcase the reactions. 

For one video, scenes from the program were re-created outside the theater, including actors wearing hazmat suits with flashlights and overturned cars, which surprised premiere attendees as they exited the theater. 

Celebrity VIPs and influencers were also punked during post-premiere interviews inside a room where creepy goings-on were staged like breathing walls, moving furniture and exploding lights. 

Four videos were developed from premiere night and spread across social media. The Celebrity VIP Reaction video has garnered more than 276,380 views. The campaign is also driving interest across various social-media channels.  

While it is hard to prove causality with viral initiatives, "Stranger Things" appears to be a hit.

The series ranked as the most popular digital original series in the U.S. between July 17 and 23, according to Parrot Analytics, reports Forbes. In the week after its July 15 release, the series drew three times the demand of another hit Netflix original, “Orange is the New Black.”