THE SMILER

Radio Interviews

In the run up to the forthcoming opening of Alton Towers’ latest rollercoaster, The Smiler, a study in The New Scientist discovered why some of us are attracted to thrills whilst others avoid them at all costs. The study explained that it boils down to our “fight or flight” primal instincts and that in our low-risk modern lives, some of us go to extreme lengths to experience an adrenaline rush. Alton Towers capitalised upon New Scientist’s research to promote their new rollercoaster, The Smiler, as the perfect ride for adrenaline junkies.

In order to maximise the campaign’s reach, as well as explain the science behind thrill-chasing, Alton Towers utilised radio interviews as a route to coverage, conducted with Jeremy Webb, the Editor-In-Chief of the News Scientist Magazine and John Wardley, a ride consultant at Alton Towers. They discussed why some people are attracted to fear whilst others are repelled by it and why The Smiler stimulates the part of people’s brains that thrives on thrills. John and Jeremy proved to be great spokespeople and presenters stated that they brought the topic to life and with credibility.
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Campaign in Numbers:
Alton Towers’ campaign secured a weekly reach of 33.5 million listeners with 2 hours 21 minutes’ worth of coverage.
Alton Towers’ campaign secured a total of 17 items of coverage (including 1 nation news network and 6 BBC Radio stations) up and down the UK.

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