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Why do brands sponsor rides?

djtruefitt said:
One of the biggest ones is Silverstar at EP, not in the name but of course anyone who’s done it can’t help but notice all the Mercedes sponsorship around the ride, station and queue line. Which happens to get refreshed every few years.
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I always thought the name Silver Star was a nod to the Mercedes logo, which is basically, well, a Silver Star.

Have I just imagined this? :flushed:
 
I can't believe no one has mentioned Disney. It's probably because of them we have ride sponsorships. The core concept behind Tomorrowland and EPCOT was for exibits based on and payed for by corperate sponcers.

To go back to the original question I think you are correct that ride sponsorships are no longer a good form of advertising. The internet is far cheaper and more effective. This is why sponsored rides are dissapering, and Disney are struggling to fix EPCOT as it can't live up to its initial intention without sponsors keeping it up to date.

Edit: Disney has been mentioned since I started writing this post.
 
There's sometimes reasons for sponsorships, like how Tidal Wave's huge running costs (for a ride that's not always that popular unless it's very hot) are offset by the sponsorship. The sponsor pays part of its running costs in return for advertising.

Same for other rides that have a big build cost, the park might find a sponsor to help offset the impact of the build in its first few years.

Or Alton Towers getting free toiletries in their hotels with the Flume sponsorship

But they have to be unintrusive on the ride experience, the worst is when parks are just looking to make money so start putting sponsorships everywhere. Someone in an office closing their eyes and pointing to a map, 'Ok lets put the sponsorship on that one' and then hunting for the most desperate mundane brand they can find.
 
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Six Flags went a bit nuts ten years ago and put adverts everywhere in the parks, even going as far using their coaster trains as billboards.

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I always thought the weirdest one was Dragon Falls sponsered by some kids sweet which as far as I could tell none had ever heard of and I'd never seen for sale either on park or elsewhere. Cant even remember what it was now.
 
RicketyCricket said:
Won't buy Original Source shower gel anymore after they ruined Tidal Wave. Although that's mainly because the mint one sets your testicles on fire.

There's definitely a place for ride sponsorship in amusement parks, not so much theme parks. Europa manage to make it work though in fairness.
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Woah... wait? From the partnership that brought us bathtubs in the woods and the cold blooded murder of Professor Burp you have an issue with Tidal Wave?? :laughing:
 
Ellaoftheball said:
What brands have previously sponsored rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach??
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Well, as mentioned previously, PlayStation/Tango (now just Ice Blast), Pepsi Max (now just Big One) and Irn Bru (Now just Revolution).
The opposite way round, Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic formally had an original theme (Gold Mine).
 
Ellaoftheball said:
What brands have previously sponsored rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach??
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I'm sure there's a few more but brand sponsorships as opposed to IPs off the top of my head:
  • Daily Star (Valhalla)
  • Irn Bru (Revolution)
  • Pepsi Max (The Big One)
  • Playstation/Sony (Now Tango Ice Blast, then Playstation: The Ride)
  • Tango (Tango Ice Blast)
  • Warburton's (Milk Roll A Coaster / Now Blue Flyer)
  • Tetley (Tetley's Tea Cups)
  • Daily Star (Monorail)
  • M&Ms (Monorail)
  • Holiday Rock FM (Monorail)
 
Didn’t Spin Doctor have a sponsor back in the day? Seem to remember it being ice cream related. Walls maybe?
 
It's more of a 'tie-in' than outright sponsorship, but Eddie Stobart had/has a trucking ride near the PMBO (I mean the Not Actually Pepsi Max Anymore Big One).
 
I could have sworn that Ryanair also once sponsored the Flying Machines. Am I imagining this?
 
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