Theme parks long have sold sponsorships of attractions and restaurants within their parks as a way to offset the massive cost of building these places. Walt Disney himself was a master at this; hustling sponsorships from TV networks and soda pop companies to get Disneyland built. So fans have gotten used to in-park branding; the question is, though, at what point does the in-park branding detract from the theming of the in-park experience.
Six Flags is promoting its new Six Flags Media Networks, which will sell in-park ad placement on signs, in-queue TVs, park maps, attraction ride units and through wireless networks.
The company's facing ongoing financial challenges, as it works to pay off debt while attracting more-lucrative family consumers to what had become teen-dominated thrill parks. And ads are one quick way to bring in more revenue. But will they drive away the visitors that Six Flags needs to attract?
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There was already prominent (and highly obnoxious) advertising starting about 10 minutes before the actual whale show, during my visit in 2005. More specifically, there were several video ads for Coca-Cola, and other tripe that I (thankfully) don't recall, splashed across a newly-installed large-screen monitor on the back wall of the stadium.
The ads presented clashed violently with the mood the park was trying to set with the pre-show music, and even with the actual show. I couldn't help but be reminded of Sea World, and in fact I wondered at the time if SFDK was doing their "Sea World Wannabe" impression. Thankfully, the show itself did not descend to such depths (no pun intended).
And now they want to do still more ads?
They've already made the worst possible impression on me by overdoing what ads they had in 2005. I suspect that this new approach will indeed have the opposite of the desired effect by driving still more people off.
Good job, Sick Flags. Just keep shooting yourselves in your collective feet.
In any case, the minimal amount of advertising in the parks I visit [Cedar Point, King's Dominion, Busch Gardens VA] is bad enough. I have to deal with commercials enough as it is. The last place I wanna see a friggin' ad for T-Mobile is on a billboard that is posted right after the "Please stay in your seat" sign that is located a few moments from me plunging hundreds of feet towards the ground with nothing but a lap restraint keeping me from certain death. It certainly wouldn't be MY fav...
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