Cedar Points "new" ad campaign

I like the one with the frat-type guy screaming. That's pretty funny. The other two are OK ... not bad, the reading just seemed too scripted.

Kennywood's new ads are annoying. Radio spot featuring someone droning on about how growing up sucks in the middle of their ride-op speech. I didn't think they were very convincing as far as advertising goes, but I thought the one billboard on Mt Washington that simply shows some Phantom track, and some arms up and asks "Who wants to go to Kennywood?" was very effective in the same way as the frat guy screaming about Millennium Force.

Just making sure everyone's satisfied, and no one gets left out ;)

Unfortunately, I am at work and have no speakers to hear what they are saying, so I can't judge the spots based on what they are saying. Anyhoo, the footage looks pretty good, but goes by way too fast. There should have been less "actors" and more footage. Why not just have all footage of CP and just narration?

Cause they're saving money on the advertising campaign so they have money for the 4D for next year

WORST. Commercials. EVER.

They make SF's dancing man seem Oscar quality...

Those are kinda funny, but sad in a way. There are people like that. They might even be lurking around the corner...

I do admit, I've run into people like the "Maggie/Millie" dork. Scares the bejeebus out of me...

The only thing those "actors" were missing was an orange vest with patches all over it.

"It's not orange. It's red. Just like Maggie."

...or reddish orange like Maggie. ;)

Just out of sheer curiosity, to those that feel they are the "worst commercials ever" or other varitions on that, what would you have done?

Oh and Maggie's yellowish-orange if you ask me ;) *** Edited 4/30/2004 3:53:49 PM UTC by Impulse-ive***

Something that would appeal to non-coaster geeks (not that I think it's hitting that market either)...

Show the park, show people having fun, show the rides, show the shows...that's what will bring people in...not some doofus reading a lame script pretending to be a coaster know it all.

I showed these ads to my coworkers and they said, "This is supposed to get me to want to go there???"

Something with competent actors that is not quite so geeky.

More half naked females would work also.

The sad reality is that the ad agency that made those ads probably see the majority of the people here as the people in their ads.

Do non-coaster enthusiast call the coasters Maggie and Millie? Doubtful.

The other sad reality is that they are more correct than any of you (okay, us) will admit.

Geez Joe, always making fun of me ;)

CDad64, even if the depictions in the ads were to represent "us", how would these commercials get "regular" guests into the park?

CP doesn't need ads to get us there..."If they build it we will come."

They're not targeting us, they are tenderly making fun of us. "Come to Cedar Point and we'll turn you into one of these idiots."

I agree that the focus is too narrow; see my original post.

Yeah, but you guys don't think the average park goer (who isn't into coaster geek speak) would be even a little intrigued by these new and exotic sounding terms?

I don't think the point is to hit people right between the eyes with this one, it's to zip it *just* over there heads and leave them wanting to find out more about what it was.

Plus, if you saw this commerical on TV it'd stand out. It's not the standard park ad with park scenes, smiling families, and discount ticket loactions. It will make the average potential park goer look twice and leave them wondering exactly what all of that meant.

Bottom line, I think the point is to go slightly over the heads of viewers, but just enough to make them interested. It's a little advertising risk taking.

*** Edited 4/30/2004 5:41:35 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

No sound here at work and #1 was cracking me up, realizing the guy was doing a virtual coaster ride like CPLady and I do!

Yes, 2 and 3 were lame actors.

The actual coaster footage was Reallly well done though, IMHO.
1 had some very different and well executed photography of Millenium Force (The dork in the 3rd one has made me swear off and future use of Millie and Maggie...)
And there's a shot in the second one that shows the twist on the downside of TTD, but the camera doesn't roll with the train. I'm still trying to figure out how they pulled that off. Genius.