Volume 3, No. 12. June 27, 2003
Thick
as a brick
Many parks offer their season pass holders certain privileges: early entries,
premium parking, sneak previews. Legoland California in Carlsbad hits its season
pass holders with a brick.
LEGO bricks, of course, but not your typical building block. These are “Collector
Bricks” commemorating special events at the park or new LEGO product lines.
“One of the things we’ve done since the park opened was create collector
bricks for special events like Fourth of July, Halloween and the opening of
new attractions,” said Kina Paegert, the park’s senior communications
specialist. “People liked them, and when they go away people always ask
for more.”
In brainstorming marketing ideas for promoting Legoland’s revamped annual
pass program, the notion of including one commemorative brick per month for
the 12-month term of the pass built momentum. Already for $89 ($65 for children
3 to 12) passholders receive special discounts, invitations to park events and
a subscription to the Legoland newsletter and, for kids, LEGO Magazine.
And every month, waiting for pass holders at the park, is a newly issued collector
brick.
In
May, the first month of the new program, the blue Explorer brick bore the logo
of the park’s new Lego Sport Center which opened that month. June’s
features a new-shade-of green brick with the Legoland Sports Jam summer show,
which opens this week. For July, the park will issue a red Bionicle Blaster
brick, based on the ride that opened in April. Later this year passholders will
get a pink brick representing the toymaker’s new Clikits product line.
Any limited-edition bricks left over at the end of the issue month will be made
available to the general public for purchase in the park’s retail stores.
“It’s an exclusive opportunity and extra bonus to being a passmember
of Legoland,” Paegert said. She could not say whether that exclusivity
has boosted pass sales, but she knows its a selling point for LEGO fans. “They’re
really excited because it’s something unique they get ahead of everybody
else.”
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
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