The Smiler - Marketing

Kirsty25 · Mon May 20, 2013 12:32 pm

PeteB wrote: I dunno. I was just thinking to myself about Th13teen and how they massively over sold the ride which left everyone disappointed. Now we have an amazing ride and it feels like they're massively under selling it.

yeah I can agree with that, I was totally in awe at seeing it the other week! I think sub terra was a let down considering the advertising campaign so maybe they've decided to go the other way to stop people being disappointed (though there will be a few... I'll be disappointed if there's no purple mist from the giggler to be honest) lol

Mon May 20, 2013 12:37 pm

Examples of bad adverts from Alton Towers....past...

From the point of view of Alton Towers - this is the biggest thrill ride to target their 'thrill audience' since Rita.....nearly 8 years ago. They want to show how many loops, twists, turns, how gritty and fun and thrilling this ride really is. I think it does it well.

It's pretty....magical...

Mon May 20, 2013 12:37 pm

PeteB wrote: I dunno. I was just thinking to myself about Th13teen and how they massively over sold the ride which left everyone disappointed. Now we have an amazing ride and it feels like they're massively under selling it.

I dont think 13 was a massive disappointment, i think the thing is it was over hyped and most of that was via the fans on the internet but then the Advert did paint a bigger picture than the ride delivered to some.

The Drop for me was disappointing a bit i really think it could have been like double the drop to make it better.

But i guess we have to remember that Alton Towers has to cater for every one, and take away the Drop (which Technically is a Masterpiece) and what we have is not a Thrill Ride its aimed at more less thrill seeking riders with a surprise install at the end.

But yes the marketing and adverts seemed to imply the ride would be scary, but then again so does Sub Tera.

Mon May 20, 2013 12:45 pm

Wes wrote: Examples of bad adverts from Alton Towers....past...

From the point of view of Alton Towers - this is the biggest thrill ride to target their 'thrill audience' since Rita.....nearly 8 years ago. They want to show how many loops, twists, turns, how gritty and fun and thrilling this ride really is. I think it does it well.

It's pretty....magical...

Agree that 2006 advert is terrible but I don't think Rita was that bad. Ok it wasn't the traditional Towers format but they made it look fast and exciting at least.

I loved it when they did things like this though: - very lolzy.

There's something so completely original about the Nemesis, Oblivion and Air adverts.

Mon May 20, 2013 12:52 pm

Wes wrote: From the point of view of Alton Towers - this is the biggest thrill ride to target their 'thrill audience' since Rita.....nearly 8 years ago. They want to show how many loops, twists, turns, how gritty and fun and thrilling this ride really is. I think it does it well.

It's pretty....magical...

Thats it they have to cater for everyone, lets look at it this way Alton Towers does not have the money or the space to keep building a abundance of rides to suit every rider, so they cant go and say make there next 3 rides all aimed at one kind of rider.

In my opinion this will be their 1st major thrill ride since Nemesis as Oblivion was a Thrill ride but its thrill was purely the Drop after that nothing, and Rita was the Launch. None of them threw you around and gave the Thrill that Nemesis did.

A key to that is the tightness of the track...

a lot on here are getting all excited about the record of Loops..... well this will be beaten thats for sure.

I have been on many many rides around the World and i can voucher that the Number of Inversions is not important its purely a number.... what is important is the type of Inversions and how they are used. For Example, Kraken has same number as The Hulk, Kraken has higher Loops, but Hulks are more intense, and in the Smiler we get a combination of those, the first half of the ride we get a Double Batwing but its the 2nd part of the ride and the Cobra roll that will be intense.

Which will bring me to the point again, i have been on Montu which is Taller than Nemesis, Faster, much more Inversions yet for me Nemesis is more thrilling and thats because of the tightness of the track the twists and turns and closeness of the track and ground really make the difference, and for me hence even though it is shorter, slower, less loops Nemesis knocks me around and Scares me more than Montu does.

So back to the Smiler, its not a case of 14 Inversions, i mean look at Colossus 10 but then half of those happen at the end and is basically 5X Heartline Rolls which are Intense.... The Smiler has a more varied type of Inversions and the track is tight and this basically is going to add to the Thrill factor just as i stated with the Nemesis vs Montu.

Mon May 20, 2013 1:04 pm

Is it just me who thought the first smiling guy should've been laughing manically before the ride set off....

And just to say if he's just been corrected and going for more i think he may have been a little insane to begin with.....

68 Hrs 56 Minutes

:moj

#getcorrected

Mon May 20, 2013 1:08 pm

PeteB wrote: I loved it when they did things like this though: - very lolzy.

There's something so completely original about the Nemesis, Oblivion and Air adverts.

I completely agree with what you have said PeteB.

The Smiler is a contraption, created by some corrupt and experimental ministry and the advert has failed to show any of this. To make the advert original, they just needed to make it simple and to the point, just like Air's teaser ads

People (including the GP, not just us fanboys/girls) love mystery and suspense, it's in our nature!

Making an advert which would have shown that this ride is suppose to "correct" you and you're part of some medical experiment would have brought about so much more anticipation for the ride. In the ad they have made, they just show the ride, state and give away what it does with no story or suspense behind the whole idea of the Ministry of Joy - what were they thinking to miss out such a fantastic opportunity...

Mon May 20, 2013 1:18 pm

Well there is still time for them to release a more themed Advert and show it at latter time, a more sinister one like the Smiler Official Videos about Cedar Miles etc.....

I do think a lot of the build up for this ride they will advert it at the actual park, and by that i think as you walk past the Smiler and as you enter the que they will be gradually as you start to wait to get on the ride, introduce a story and build up for the Ride.

Mon May 20, 2013 1:22 pm

Just tweeted them asking if it the final advert, will update soon if I get a reply

I really hate it....

Mon May 20, 2013 1:38 pm

If no one noticed, it says
'Height restrictions apply. Ride opens 23 May.'
At the bottom of the screen on the advert

Website · Mon May 20, 2013 3:11 pm

I can't see this being the only advert for the smiler. We had all that expensive lighting a few weeks back, yes they made a YouTube video of the track with it. But they must of filmed it with the smiler in operation. I predict we will see some footage incorporated into an advert of some kind.

Mon May 20, 2013 3:17 pm

mwflynn06 wrote: I can't see this being the only advert for the smiler. We had all that expensive lighting a few weeks back, yes they made a YouTube video of the track with it. But they must of filmed it with the smiler in operation. I predict we will see some footage incorporated into an advert of some kind.

I think the light show was simply for the reveal of the world record and for the benefit of the Guinness World Records officials who were there to oversee the giving of the record. Alton Towers specifically said the lights weren't for an advert, though it does seem a bit overblown for a 30 second YouTube video!

Anyway, I like the advert. Bright, colourful and memorable - showcases the sinister but wacky theme while remaining accessible and not overly cryptic.

Mon May 20, 2013 3:24 pm

People really do have too high expectations. I think this is the only advert there will be apart from shorter versions. Why should they do something bizarre for the advert when we had the 4 teaser videos? People have complained that in adverts for past years rides there has been hardly any ride footage well, here we have quite a bit and come on, they are advertising the world's first so of course they are gonna want to show the track and not much else. Why would they have some mysterious advert which doesn't really advertise what the ride is about? I personally love the ad, short, simple and gets straight to the point, perfect! .. oh and looks like it'll be lights ahoy in the indoor section where the heartline roll is

Kirsty25 · Mon May 20, 2013 3:29 pm

I think people will be unhappy and people will be happy with the advert.

As for the lights the other week, as has already been said, Alton Towers said they were not for advertising though they released selected images to the press. Yes, they could have played more on the MOJ, but with the amount of money that has gone into the viral campaign (which I think worked better) why do they need TV adverts about the MOJ too - what would have been good would have been to see Trish and Dan climbing on The Smiler with Miles securing them in sending them to be fully corrected

Mon May 20, 2013 3:31 pm

Something I've just noticed...

At approx. the 20 second mark, there's a shot of two trains racing past each other in opposite directions (one going into, and the other leaving, the Staffordshire Knot). I know we all expect it to be happening anyway, but given how surprisingly accurate the details in the advert are to the actual ride, this practically confirms that the trains will duel, right?

Mon May 20, 2013 3:31 pm

The advert is great!! But it seems like they don't want it to be too busy on opening day, so maybe they will have more, bigger and better ad's say this weekend or next week emphasising that its 'NOW OPEN'

Kirsty25 · Mon May 20, 2013 3:38 pm

Static Veins wrote: Something I've just noticed...

At approx. the 20 second mark, there's a shot of two trains racing past each other in opposite directions (one going into, and the other leaving, the Staffordshire Knot). I know we all expect it to be happening anyway, but given how surprisingly accurate the details in the advert are to the actual ride, this practically confirms that the trains will duel, right?

I said this a couple of hours ago (though it may have been in the speculation topic...)

Apparently to duel so close wouldn't be possible though!

Mon May 20, 2013 3:54 pm

Kirsty25 wrote:
Static Veins wrote: Something I've just noticed...

At approx. the 20 second mark, there's a shot of two trains racing past each other in opposite directions (one going into, and the other leaving, the Staffordshire Knot). I know we all expect it to be happening anyway, but given how surprisingly accurate the details in the advert are to the actual ride, this practically confirms that the trains will duel, right?
I said this a couple of hours ago (though it may have been in the speculation topic...)

Apparently to duel so close wouldn't be possible though!

It could be done if they load a train set if off and hold it at the first lift and then when other train is ready to leave station then let the other one climb up the 1st hill, could be a bit impracticable as one train would have to wait for other one to be loaded then to duel, but it could work.

Mon May 20, 2013 4:07 pm

That advert is brilliant. Very effective and sinister.

Mon May 20, 2013 4:08 pm

JayTricky wrote: That advert is brilliant. Very effective and sinister.

how is it sinister? or even brilliant?! I'm quite disappointed I was hoping for something SINISTER! yet we get given cheap carton like advert.. much like N:ST was ( mainly the horrid start!! )
I wanted something more Th13teen style

anyway sorry didnt mean to shoot you down... sorry

just wanted to know why you like it so much.. that's all

( Again sorry if it came off mean

)