Have you ever played a mobile phone game like Candy Crush and watched ads to get bonuses? What about watching a YouTube video and spending an entire minute watching ads before the video starts? Then once you are watching, get interrupted by ads three more times? We all know the feeling. Now, Disney is taking a play out of this book by adding advertisements to their rides.
While sometimes annoying, running ads is a way for creators and companies to generate money. Companies are willing to pay websites, YouTube creators, and more to put their names in front of the viewer. Advertising like this goes all the way back to billboards, however, now people are finding more creative ways to advertise. Disney is getting creative with ads, allowing people to advertise to guests while they are on Disney World rides.
Advertising While on Disney Rides?
Disney is taking a unique approach by allowing companies to show ads to people while on Disney rides. There are a few ways Disney will execute this. However, it’s worth noting that this is truly a unique form of advertising. Long gone are the days of buying a billboard or putting their company in a magazine. Marketers are always looking for different and unique ways to reach potential customers, and Disney’s new approach allows for just that.
The first method of advertising on Disney rides will be through TV screens built into the ride cars. Disney is planning to install small TVs on many of their ride cars. These TVs will play a variety of advertisements while riders enjoy the ride. For example, we know these screens will be added to Living with the Land. Each row will have a small TV. Throughout the ride, guests will see advertisements and mini infomercials for a variety of products and services.
The other method will be more organic. Disney will implement product placement and billboards on their rides. For example, in Carousel of Progress, Disney will add a variety of real-life products to the scenes from companies that pay for it. In the last scene, everyone will have an iPhone or iPad. In terms of billboards, Disney will add highway signs to Tomorrowland Speedway for companies like Ford, Toyota, and Subaru, again, for companies willing to pay for it.
Disney World Ride Advertising Controversy
As you might expect, Disney adding advertisements to their rides brings a bit of controversy. Many guests are already complaining about the TVs being added to the rides. For example, they don’t want to listen to Living with the Land and hear an ad for Mesothelioma at the same time. They feel it will be distracting and take away from the ride. They are also afraid that the billboards and product placement will come across as tacky and distracting on the ride.
However, Disney is aware of these concerns. According to an official spokesperson, Disney is looking to find advertising partners where the ads on rides are seamless. They want to naturally incorporate products, signs, and videos into rides where they best fit. In fact, their hope is that the integrations are so seamless, that the guest barely notices, much like the Coca-Cola ads around Disney World.
That’s right, Disney already does this to a small extent. Coca-Cola is the official soda of Disney World. Not only are they helping develop the new line of park-inspired sodas, but they also already have advertisements inside the parks as seen above. Disney knows what they are doing by subliminally advertising to guests. They are going to continue to push it, just this time on rides. Of course, the entire purpose behind this is to generate additional revenue for a struggling company. They know companies will pay top dollar to advertise on Disney rides.
What do you think of Disney adding ads to their rides? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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