Has SixFlags advertising campaign been successful?

[BelizeIt]

Personally, I've never liked the Creepy Bald Guy.

 

I imagine under new ownership that will be one of the first changes.

[SharkTums]

I believe there was an article around somewhere that while it was voted one of the best advertising campaigns of last year, and everyone knew who the 'old man' was, it didn't translate well into park attendance.

 

Therefore it did not do well even though everyone associated with it!

[ParkTrips]

I believe so. In a field in which name recognition is key, though they may not say "Mr. Six" I hear a lot of chatter about "that old guy" at the park. The song, whether or not you personally like it, is quite catchy and I always see the kids trying to emulate Mr. Six's moves at the park when the music comes on. Sounds like a fairly successful campaign to me, now if that directly correlated with an attendance increase then they would be in business.

[MagnumForce]

Waterparks correalate into attendance, not Mr. Six. Just ask SFGAM.

 

Although it's does bring great brand identity.

[Sir Clinksalot]

I agree with Elissa and Brent.

 

It certainly provides "Brand Recognition", but I'm not sure if that relates to park attendance, or in a business sense, more money.

 

I think SFMM did see an increase in attendance last year, but that could have been a fluke.

 

Maybe if this was their new campaign, we would see an increase ... in something ...

 

 

Gregg "Sorry Elissa, I had to" C.

[FlyingScooter]

Without a doubt ^ that is the most used pic on this site.

yes, that would be a great add campaign!

 

Six Flags: Magic Mountains!

nice...

[SharkTums]

I think we should start something where everytime someone uses that photo they have to send me a dollar!

[Wes]

[CoasterFanatic]

^ That says it all!

 

Actually the advertising has been very successful from a branding standpoint. It is too bad that the parks reputation has damaged their brand so much that the ads can't even help putting people through the gates.

[SharkTums]

^LOL!

 

That's awesome Wes.

 

Again, everyone measures success in different ways, but I would vote a big old NO this time around.

[smells_like_team_disney]

I haven't been to SF in years, and that creepy old guy throwing himself all over the place didn't make me jump out of my seat and head toward the maingate. So in that sense, it was not successful.

[Jose Eber]

The character was too obnoxious for me.

 

I don't want to say much more because I might come across as racist.

 

Basically, the character reminds me of a stereotype. In fact that is all it is, and that annoys me for some reason. Very cheap marketing ploy.

[4718]

I thought it was "okay" when the ads first came out the year and a half ago or so, but now they're just ramming it further into the ground with each new spin on it. Sure, the old dude (any doubt as to whether it's really a senior citizen or not?) can boogie quite impressively, but.......then what? They pull the bus out from behind Batman and take the tarp off to film a commercial in the parking lot on a midweek off season day with a bunch of kids and other people seizing in time with the seizure meister Mr. Six leading them the whole way........even the one with the bus on the midway was better. I've never understood the idea behind why he's jumping around and stuff, the adoption of the "It's Play Time" phrase to every bit of employee garments (yes, it's even on the inside of our pants for some reason :shock: ), or how it should draw people into the parks........missed me with that one.

 

Oh well, I guess I can always get the cheap thrill of saying "It's play time, in my PANTS!" Meh, sounded better in my head I guess........

[Meteornotes]

As a branding strategy, the campaign has been pretty successful. I think they even won a few advertising awards for it.

 

As a ploy to get people to come into the parks, well, there it hasn't worked. And I'm not really sure that it ever would. Sure, more people when surveyed will say they saw the ad and remember it, which is a good sign. But I think that the majority of people that have had horrible experiences in SF parks over the last five years are going to need a lot more than a dancing old guy to convince them to plop down $50 for another visit. Six Flags has a lot of negative perceptions to overcome if they want to see an increase in attendance. Sure, some parks in the chain are good (SFGAm being an example), but ask the average person, and their description of a Six Flags park is a hot, sweltering hell pit full of line jumpers, rude employees, and overpriced consessions. It's going to take a massive overhaul of how the whole company operates to cure these perceptions...

 

dt