Europe Invaded by Furry Monsters
Ever walk into a situation that screams “this company is making a big mistake!” Okay … well, maybe not, but I did this weekend. My family and I visited Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA on Sunday, and I found that it has been invaded by furry little monsters and giant birds. While fun, I think it’s a Big Bird-sized strategic error.
Allow me to give you a little background, in case you’ve never been to this theme park. There are two versions of Busch Gardens. One is in Tampa and is a theme park based around Africa. The other is in Williamsburg, and is based around Europe. In Williamsburg, the park is broken into a handful of pieces — England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Germany, and France. Each “country” has its own architecture and feel, with attractions that are based on things that might be found there. I can’t speak for Busch Gardens Tampa (never been there), but I think Busch Gardens Williamsburg has done a very, very good job keeping “on message” with the Europe theme. It’s also generally regarded as one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world.
Given all of this, imagine my surprise when I find that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has added a new section between Italy and England called Sesame Street Forest of Fun.
I’m a huge fan of Sesame Street, mind you. The show started right after I was born, so I grew up with Grover, Big Bird, Ernie and Bert. My kids love the show too, even if my nearly seven-year-old daughter tells us she’s too old for it. The issue is that no one told me the show was based in Europe!
Wait. It’s not based in Europe? Well then, that’s a problem.
Whether this was a decision by the park’s new owners, or this was something that was in the works before they took over, we’re seeing a watering down of a brand. BG had a clear message that “when you come to this park, you’re visiting Europe”. There wasn’t a ride in the park that didn’t, at least in its name, follow that message. Until now.
BG did make an *attempt* to fit the furry monsters and the giant bird into the theme, but it’s an impossible task. Nothing short of giving the well known trashcan-loving monster the new name of Oscar Von Grouch would fix the mistake. It’s like Kentucky Fried Chicken suddenly selling hamburgers. It just doesn’t fit.
When you’re thinking about your own business and considering a change … please think about this example. Busch Gardens surely will make some money from the Sesame Street characters, but they’ll pay the price by losing their hard earned identity.
Bonus Content
Here are a few funny comments posted on Facebook when I mentioned in my status update that I was confused about Sesame Street moving to Europe:
- Did you see Oscar Le’Grouch and Big Van Der Bird? [Editor's note: Yes, I stole this joke.]
- Did Big Bird speak French?
- Did Big Bird drink any Busch Beer, he might have been speaking French after a 6 pack!!!
- Big Bird is from France. It’s true. Always thought Oscar was British.
Do I need to chill out and lighten up? Feel free to say so in comments!
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I was there Friday for media day.The BG folks did a first class job, treated us like royalty. My kids LOVED it, which frankly was nice since BG didn’t have much that interested them before, and I always got stuck taking them to Kings Dominion for a theme park hit. (Yuck). I agree Sesame Street doesn’t jive well with the Europe theme but so what.I never thought it was actually Europe anyway, and the rest of the park is still beautiful.(Although I think a real “Sesame Street” complete with brownstones and porches would have made a more fitting backdrop in character with the rest of the park, don’t you?) What were they going to do that had instant brand recognition, appealed hugely to kids, AND was European in theme? Better Sesame Street than nothing, JMHO.
I don’t disagree with having more kids rides there, although my kids (six and four years old) always have a great time in Land of the Dragons and on the other kids rides scattered around the park. Also, I don’t think anyone *really* thought they were in Europe. That’s not the point. What I’m getting at is that the attention to the European theme is what made BG different. It was their differentiator, and it gets watered down with moves like this.
Although the idea for Sesame Street originated in the US, it has global appeal. It’s about educating pre-school kids that otherwise may have missed out on pre-school education from their parents not being able to afford it.
I don’t think the fact that Busch Gardens introduced this to their park lessens their brand – if anything, it could increase popularity with parents and their kids.
Perhaps a more valid question (as a European now living in Canada) is how they represent the countries themselves. When you mention Ireland, is it Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) or Southern Ireland? There’s a big difference and could affect the view of Busch if they get that wrong.
You bring up some interesting points, Danny.
I understand that Sesame Street is truly a global television program. It’s been recreated for numerous audiences around the world and is extremely valuable for the reasons you mentioned. I love the show for my kids and I loved it back when I was young.
My blog post, however, was never really intended to address the value of Sesame Street, and I did acknowledge that Busch Gardens will make some money from this move. However, I think for branding and image it makes no more sense to put Elmo in Busch Gardens Europe than it makes to put steak on the menu in a vegetarian restaurant.
To address your last point — I can’t speak to that. I look at it as a fun experience and haven’t researched its authenticity. The park has been around since 1975 and I suspect issues of authenticity (or lack thereof) have been addressed.