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Posted at 9:41 AM EST (1441 GMT)  Feb. 4th, 2008 -- Via Press Release: PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Six Flags, Inc. (NYSE: SIX) announced today the launch of its new comprehensive media solution, Six Flags Media Networks. Within this new platform, Six Flags will house all of its media touch points that go far and beyond that of traditional advertising. Six Flags Media Networks partner with local, regional and national advertising capabilities and includes: Six Flags Television, Six Flags Radio, Six Flags Print, Six Flags Outdoor, Six Flags Outdoor Spectacular, Six Flags Attraction Integration, Six Flags Experiential Marketing and Six Flags Online.
Six Flags Television: Launching in March 2008, Six Flags Television will be the preeminent
interactive outdoor television networks. As guests wait in queue lines,
they will be presented with interactive entertainment and relevant content. Displayed on 45" plasma TVs, Six Flags Television allows guests to enjoy seamlessly integrated entertainment and promotions and will contain Bluetooth technology for instant downloads and exclusive music videos, text-n-win capabilities and ring tones. Six Flags Radio: Six Flags Radio is broadcasted throughout all 21 Six Flags parks and
will broadcast demographically and thematically-targeted content,
commercials and announcements. Six Flags Print: Home to the Park Map & Guides and daily schedules, Six Flags Print will
distribute over nine million pieces between April and October. This entity
is one of the most heavily distributed publications during this time
period. Six Flags Outdoor: Six Flags Outdoor is the newest in outdoor advertising. This arm of Six
Flags Media Networks will include rotational signage, Cool Media
Interactive Signage with Bluetooth capabilities. These signs are dispersed throughout each of our parks and will have the capability to illuminate and mist to cool you off on those hot days. Six Flags Outdoor Spectacular: Six Flags Outdoor Spectacular allows advertisers to display marquee
advertising throughout our parks. This includes parking, maingate, ride and venue entranceway signage as well as in-park promotional displays that give advertisers in-park real estate to display their products. Six Flags Attraction Integration: This arm of Six Flags Media Networks allows advertisers to display
signage on roller coasters, queue lines and water rides. Partners are able to take advantage of our unique park attractions and integrate them into their key advertising strategies. Six Flags Experiential Marketing: This component provides advertisers the opportunity to engage in
one-on- one interaction with guests. Examples of this form of marketing
throughout its parks include the Wii Experience, a hands-on interactive
gaming station for guests to enjoy their favorite Wii video games. Six Flags Online: SixFlags.com reaches more than 34 million unique users on an annual
basis. As part of the Six Flags Media Networks, advertisers will now have access to exclusive online promotional offerings, sweepstakes, banner media and streaming video commercials. "Six Flags Media Networks now opens the door for Six Flags, Inc. to
provide our guests with an even bigger and better experience when they walk through our park gates," said Lou Koskovolis, Executive VP, Corporate Alliance and Sponsorship, "This interactive network also provides a stellar platform for advertisers to reach a captive audience and promote relevant products and gives us the opportunity to communicate, educate and entertain our guests." About Six Flags, Inc.: Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest regional theme park company with
21 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Founded in 1961, Six Flags has provided world class entertainment for millions of families with cutting edge, record-shattering roller coasters and appointment programming with events like the popular Thursday and Sunday Night Concert Series. Now 47 years strong, Six Flags is recognized as the preeminent thrill innovator while reaching to all demographics - families, teens, tweens and thrill seekers alike - with themed attractions based on the Looney Tunes characters, the Justice League of America, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly-traded corporation (NYSE: SIX) headquartered in New York City.
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Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10886
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New to SFOG...The Doritos Mind Bender!!!
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| 2/4/2008 9:48 AM |
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Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 383
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Why would Six Flags let a company put advertisements on their rides? Can you imagine a giant banner hanging off of the lift of Goliath @ SFOG?
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| 2/4/2008 10:15 AM |
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BGWfanatic
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1854
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^ Because they are billions of dollars in debt, thats why.
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| 2/4/2008 10:28 AM |
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ltngrcr9051
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 399
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I can't imagine a giant banner hanging off of SFOG's Goliath, but I can imagine one on the GA Cyclone, not to mention El Toro at Great Adventure, The Wild One at the former Adventure World, as well as other woodies throughout the chain... Oy vey.
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| 2/4/2008 10:40 AM |
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CHILLERLC1
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 7404
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The Koreans already named their Intamin Woodie the T Express, that's some sort of product. We're lucky that they didn't rename El Toro the Panasonic Plasma Coaster instead. The baseball teams could be named Hyundai Tigers or Daewoo Bears. We're lucky so far and Six Flags has learned from overseas. Imagine an Indiana Jones banner on El Toro.
Islands of Adventure and Dollywood seemed to have a week by week park map/guide.
You've thought you've seen a bombardment of GEICO. Imagine if a sudden cloth tunnel appeared on some of coasters with a GEICO logo all over it?
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| 2/4/2008 10:48 AM |
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Carowinds 73-03
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 11357
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I don't like th idea of massive banners hanging from coasters but maybe some nicely made signs with the company logo on it placed at the entrance to the attraction.
I never really saw the point in a week by week map. It's a waste of money for the company and it's not like the park will have major events every week.
I remeber Kings Dominion did this as well but not sure if they do anymore. Carowinds tried the weekly maps this for a season.
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| 2/4/2008 10:55 AM |
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LuvChyld79
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 252
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We need a photoshop thread with this idea... I'm picturing a Panda Express coaster traveling through a giant egg roll tunnel
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| 2/4/2008 10:59 AM |
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CHILLERLC1
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 7404
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That could have been VIPER @ SFAW.
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| 2/4/2008 11:15 AM |
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PANTSFREE
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1336
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Sweeeet! More ads everywhere!
I thought it was funny when Snyder and co. put poster ads ALL over the parks. Now we'll have video and audio ads, too.
Eh, SFA doesn't have any lines for the coasters anyways, so this won't really effect me too much.
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| 2/4/2008 12:14 PM |
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Wes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10886
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Although i hate ads everywhere in parks, I do think the interactive blue tooth ad idea is pretty cool.
Until the plasmas are all fried and you can't see them anymore. ;)
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| 2/4/2008 1:10 PM |
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Michael C
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1910
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YA i don't see a 42 in plasma lastign too long outdoors. even with a display box, thats a lot of temp changes.
This I guess was to be expected. ou got an owner from a football team and a CEO that ran a sports network. ti was only a matter of time before they started bombarding us with adds. now it's only going to get worse.
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| 2/4/2008 3:09 PM |
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Carowinds 73-03
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 11357
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That would be funny if they went as far as selling nameing rights to the parks like they do sport stadiums.
Bank of America's Six Flags over Georgia
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| 2/4/2008 3:49 PM |
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James R
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1244
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None of this is new, really. A good chunk of this has already been existing in Six Flags parks even while Burke, etc. was in charge. This was seen in the signage that would say, "Ozarka presents Ozarka Splash" (See? Name integration already existed), or "Dungeon Drop, sponsored by Chupa Chups." I saw this very frequently at AstroWorld. The park maps, print, radio media are pre-existing.
The inline queue TVs aren't new either, they will simply be upgraded. I remember my visits to SFAW, there were these ghetto TVs in the lines that showed cartoons and commercials for the park's sponsors. There were also signs that advertised for the companies who sponsored the ride in the queue integrated with a "Quiz", such as "How tall is Texas Cyclone? A) blah B) so-and-so C) you get the idea."
This really isn't a shocking thing, but it is this "Outdoor Spectacular" that makes me laugh. A big light up sign is spectacular? Okay...
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| 2/4/2008 4:15 PM |
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tedfuzz
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 308
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I have always hated this side of Six Flags, and now they are confirming it. They no longer care about the guest, but how much promotional junk they can shove in the guest's face. It's no longer an amusement park, but a giant commercial. Ads on the side of coasters, come on!
-TedFuzz
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| 2/4/2008 5:14 PM |
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Riddler156
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1360
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Not surprised to see this at all, but those 45" plasmas sound like a waste of money for an outdoor TV.
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| 2/4/2008 6:43 PM |
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Carowinds 73-03
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 11357
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LOL. I totally agree. I did also love the outdoor spectacular. Makeing it sound like some major event when it's nothing more that outdoor signs.
I really hate the idea and if i walk into my next SF park and can't walk 5 ft without seeing 100 differents ad's then that would ruin the day.
Just makes the parks look trashy.
Then again the 2 SF parks i have been to already looked very trashy so this migh just blend in.
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| 2/4/2008 6:47 PM |
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rjholla2003
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1625
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My prediction is that James is the winner. Ads on the coasters probably means nothing more than the "branding" that's been done in the past, such as "Poland Springs Plunge" as the ride name and Medusa (sponsored by Corn Nuts) in the map when it can't be so graceful. The most extreme would be the queue ads when you have something like when Driving Force sponsored Nitro and you had a banner near the entrance, Dragster facts in the queue, and a cutout of the family/cast in the queue. It sucked to have those ads, but at least they made them somewhat interesting in their obtrusiveness. The only ads last year that truly and utterly annoyed me were the Starburst "Enjoyment Pose" ones. People were always trying to do the impossible poses, causing people to get annoyed with having to walk around their stupidity since they nearly tripped on them. And on the work side of life, they left NASTY stains on the pavement when they finally started to slide. Then we get blasted on the radio for it, have upper management asking us to do things like scrub it in the middle of the day, when the only thing that will do it any good is a hotsy, which you can't run during the day. Annoying.
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| 2/5/2008 7:31 PM |
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stevetothekizzo
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1339
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The TV screens will be sweet while standing in line. All of the other additions are a sell out. However, what else can we expect from Six Flags.
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| 2/5/2008 7:43 PM |
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Carowinds 73-03
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 11357
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TVs would be a nice addition but you have to wonder how long they will last outdoors. Plasma tvs are better than regular cause if the suns out you can't see anything.
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| 2/5/2008 8:53 PM |
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I love DW
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1951
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O boy can't wait to go to a Six Flags and be beat over the head with advertisements :(
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| 2/8/2008 5:38 PM |
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