Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is putting a stake in Halloween, the crown jewel of theme park entertainment, because no other destination or holiday delivers more screams.
Last year, the brand bowed a long-form piece titled “Tick Tick Tick.” A malevolent clown stalked a group of housemates, then lured them to Six Flags with Gold Passes under the rallying cry, “Do not keep fear waiting.”
This year, the amusement park giant returns with an even bigger, bolder, and scarier film that showcases Halloween attractions at participating parks. It is less an ad and more a short horror movie, nearly eight minutes, created by horror aficionados for guests who love their scares.
Titled “Come Out and Play,” the film leans into the arthouse side of the genre, with a steady mood of dread, hair-raising sound design, and a shadowy threat named Smiley. He is searching for a friendly face, in a manner of speaking. The intention is simple: to make viewers feel the fear they will experience at Six Flags this Halloween. Watch below:
During spooky season, many parks transform after dark into worlds of haunted mazes, immersive scare zones filled with costumed creatures, live performances, and themed food and drinks. Most major rides remain open and run in the dark, yet the mazes and scare zones take center stage for guests thirteen and older.
The film was created by TMA, Six Flags creative agency partner and the shop behind last year’s acclaimed “Tick Tick Tick.” TMA Chief Creative Officer Harris Wilkinson, who wrote the new film and co-directed with John Suits of Natural Selection, said, “This is branded entertainment with one goal in mind, to make Six Flags the Halloween destination. That is why we shot it entirely within Six Flags parks. By showing off the mazes, the rides, and the scare zones, we give people a sense of the seasonal terror that awaits. And we anchored it with one simple invitation, Come Out and Play.”
“Halloween is a huge cultural moment that just keeps growing,” added Christian Dieckmann, Chief Commercial Officer at Six Flags. “For us, the time was right to raise the stakes, bigger, better, and scarier. Just as we take fun seriously throughout the year, we also take fear seriously when it comes to Halloween. We dare viewers to Come Out and Play.”
“Come Out and Play” debuts on October 1 and will be available fully online on YouTube and across Six Flags’ social channels. Teaser assets will be rolled out ahead of the launch to build anticipation and drive viewership.
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @coli
CREDITS:
BRAND: Six Flags Entertainment
- Stella Smith, VP of Advertising and Creative Services
AGENCY: TMA
- CEO: Trina Roffino
- CCO: Harris Wilkinson
- ECD: Kevin Kleber
- GCD: Emma Quinn
- CD: Mike Castelot
- Sr Art Director: Christi Dupree
- Sr Copywriter: Hannah Pohl
- SVP, Account: Ashley Dent
- Account Director: Caroline Crews
- Sr Account Executive: Liz Lopez
- Account Executive: Kylie Reed
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT: Omnicom Production
- Executive Producer: Leigh Mergehenn
- Sr Producer: Stephanie Murdoch
- Business Affairs Associate: Debbie Mcilhany
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Natural Selection
- Directors: John Suits, Harris Wilkinson
- Executive Producer: Nick Callais
- Casting: Bobby Stephenson
- Director of Photography: Tyler McGrath
- Production Designer: Suzsano Valdez
- Makeup FX: Hugo Villasenor
- Costume Designer: Samantha Kuester
EDIT:
- Editor: John Suits
POST AUDIO: Timeline Audio
- Sound Design: Joe Barrucco
VFX: Leon Post Production
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