Siemens uses Epcot as brand-building platform

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Visitors to the newly updated Spaceship Earth ride at Epcot might experience the ride and miss the show. Or they might experience the 26-year-old ride with a few new updates and spins, and catch the bevy of interactive games in the post-show area. And still, they might neither notice nor care about the real significance of the deal behind them, a pact that ties Walt Disney World and the global technology company Siemens AG with the kind of multifaceted partnership that illustrates how Disney World sells itself not just as a theme park but also as a marketing venue for all sorts of companies.

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Epcot

You know, Walt and I were just talking about this last week while at Epcot. Seemed like a strange choice considering it's a tourist market

It's also interesting how Epcot can do marketing without it being offensive and distracting like a certain chain.

Siemens also advertises a lot on TV. And like BASF, those spots always have me scratching my head as to why they are broadcast marketing like that. I can understand Lays potato chips...and perhaps BASF back when I had a tape recorder (I remember coveting their metal tapes)...but most folks aren't in the market for medical equipment or much of the other high end stuff they offer.

Well, not offensive or distracting, except for the logo on Spaceship Earth after Illuminations. :)

Siemen's sponsorship of Spaceship Earth is a front for Siemens' primary profit making entity:

MILITARY SALES

Siemens' primary sales are to the military: plutonium and electronic communication systems, this according to their annual report.See the film "Charlie Wilson's War".
*** This post was edited by Bill 2/27/2008 6:06:53 PM ***

Siemens is like the European equivalent to GE. They make (or co-brand) all kinds of stuff. Military equipment all the way down to home telephones. I think Fujitsu/Siemens may be the largest European computer manufacturer.

It's weird they would decide to spend so much on advertising in the states. I don't think most of their products are available here. Although considering how much DW is an international destination, it kinda makes sense.

Spaceship earth is something of a tradition of ours---it was the first ride we ever went on as a family in our first WDW visit. Even so, I wasn't sure if these changes to the attraction would be a big deal. After all, it's still a glorified dark ride, right?

My nine year old daughter---who would power-ride RnRC and ToT for the week if I let her---got off it and said something I've never heard her say before:I want to ride that again, and I don't care how long the line is.

The your-faces-on-a-video ending that the purists decry was a gold-plated hit with her.
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 3/2/2008 8:57:17 PM ***

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