by Graham Speak, Speak Consulting
Building and optimising IP (intellectual property) partnerships is a huge business in the attractions sector. Providing a way to attract and engage guests, partnering with third-party brands can often be a shortcut to audiences, well-loved stories, and their associated marketing ecosystems.
When asked about IP-based experiences, your mind may initially jump to big-hitting blockbusters like Disney and Universal. However, there is a diversity of examples in the market, from sports car brands like Ferrari to board games like Monopoly. All, in different ways, aim to leverage the power of their respective brands to emotionally connect and entertain audiences through experiences.
Deciding whether an IP partnership makes sense for your business and identifying a suitable partner can be a complex and multifaceted consideration.
However, not all operators choose to borrow third-party IPs. Instead, they opt to develop and build their own stories and brands. There are some great case studies in the market, such as the 30-year-old Nemesis brand at Alton Towers Resort. This has been developed (and leveraged) over time and is now synonymous with Alton Towers.
Developing your IP can make a lot of sense, and the answer to whether you should build your own or work with a third-party depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Mack One: a conversation with Tobias Mundinger
I caught up with Tobias Mundinger, executive director with Mack One, about the role of IP across the Mack business and why different approaches to IP can be adopted simultaneously, anchored around a clear understanding of business needs and desired outcomes.
Growing up in a small village in the stunning German countryside, an excited 14-year-old Tobias was frequently found on his bike, taking a morning cycle to beat the crowds to be the first through the gates at Europa-Park.
Becoming somewhat of an enthusiast, he couldn’t wait to secure his first job at the park at the age of 16. Then, after completing his studies, he returned to help Michael Mack (8th generation of the family) on a special project. His career has since evolved, resulting in his current role as the leader of the Mack Magic business.
Here, he spearheads IP development and content production within the Mack One organisation.
Identifying IP as an opportunity
“Europa-Park’s first licenses were for 4D films, like Panda Vision and Polar Express, that were shown at the theme park’s theatre, which was established in 2002,” says Mundinger. “However, soon after, Michael convinced his family that, for the license fees being paid, it would be possible to create our very own film.
“As a result, in the winter of 2011, a major milestone was achieved with the release of the first bespoke 4D film, Castle Secret, featuring the park’s mascots. This film also made its way to other parks worldwide as a licensed attraction film.
“When I joined in 2014, Michael had recognised the potential of characters, brands, and media, such as Castle Secret, and saw opportunities to expand them beyond the park.”
A strategic mix of homegrown and third-party IP
“Michael always saw a huge opportunity in IP building, but he was fully aware of the significant challenges involved. Whilst the focus was on developing our own IP, we knew that it wouldn’t happen overnight. We had to grow and learn. Building IP is a long-term investment that takes time.
“This is especially true for a theme park like Europa-Park, which was not originally a media production company (but became one following our IP development strategies).
“A big benefit of working with a third-party IP is that guests often already know and have an emotional connection with the story and characters, which can be quite complex to build and establish through queue lines or the ride itself. We operate a theme park with the aim of immersing guests.
“If guests have seen a 90-minute movie or TV series, the level of immersion we can create can be much higher.”
Bringing to life Arthur – defining clear objectives & a true IP partnership
“With Arthur, our objective was to create an attraction that appealed to our French audiences.
“With Europa-Park being located right on the border between Germany and France, Roland and Michael Mack are very passionate and committed to the relationship between our countries. At the time, Michael was also responsible for Mack Rides. He wanted to develop a family ride that would be perfect for storytelling.”
“Michael is a big fan of Luc Besson’s films, who, coincidentally was in the midst of producing his Arthur films. These stories are incredibly popular in France, representing French culture and rich with detail, perfect for a story-based family ride.
“Michael approached Luc with an initial idea, which was met with lots of interest and desire to collaborate. In the end, Arthur was a huge success, launching a new storytelling ride system for Mack Rides and for Europa-Park, helping to grow the park’s presence in the French market. For Luc and his business, it delivered a dream, bringing his imaginary world to life for fans to experience.
“So good was the partnership, we were able to authentically develop and adapt the IP, enabling it to meet our needs. It’s a great example of how true collaborative partnerships (rather than transactional relationships) can be critical to successful initiatives.”
A big ambition: Europa-Park as a platform & Mack One
“Whilst third-party IP partnerships can be very valuable, we have an infrastructure at Europa-Park that allows us to immerse millions of people in our own content and let them dive into our story worlds. Our 4D theatre, Coastiality and Yullbe, are examples of our established media touchpoints that allow us to really build emotional connections with our characters and IP.”
“Using Europa-Park as a platform to popularise our own IPs, we decided in 2018 to acquire Germany’s largest animation studio, now called Mack Animation. We had the big dream of producing content not just for theme parks, but for the world beyond. Developing our own IPs gives us ownership and allows us to adapt to Europa-Park’s development strategy.
“One guiding principle of the Mack family business has always been to create unique synergies and build the ability to provide comprehensive solutions for the theme park and entertainment industry.”
“With Mack Rides, we manufacture and engineer our own rides. With Mack Emotioneers and Mack Solutions, we create master planning, theming, and build prototype attractions at Europa-Park Resort. Since acquiring Mack Animations, we are now able to create media ourselves.
“Therefore, it is just consistent to establish our own IPs with Mack Magic, which handles IP content production and development.”
Storytelling at the heart of Mack One
“We are separate in terms of business cases, but always think in terms of synergies. Each component wouldn’t function as well without the others. This all-encompassing approach is Michael Mack’s vision for Mack One. It will give us the potential to grow as a media and content company, just as we have grown as an important player in the theme park business.”
“One company in the industry we admire is Plopsa and Studio 100, which have been doing very well in their market with IPs. And since the theme park industry is a family, we are also collaborating with them on one of our projects concerning IP development.
“From a more idealistic and not just business point of view, Michael is a passionate storyteller. He is convinced that we have many unique and specifically European stories to tell. It is his dream to bring these tales out into the world.”
Building the Warner Bros relationship
“Following our partnership with Arthur, we dreamed of teaming up with EuropaCorp (Luc Besson’s business) for joint projects going even further and developing new IP together – leveraging both of our expertise. Unfortunately, EuropaCorp faced financial difficulties that made this impossible.
“In the media business, it’s difficult to succeed outside the safe confines of Europa-Park without a partner. So, we focused on building a relationship with Warner Bros. Germany. We helped them with Jim Button and created a kiddie ride that perfectly integrates into the German area of Europa-Park.”
“The joint marketing campaign showcased the opportunities a partnership can bring. This led to our cooperation on our very own first full-length animated feature, Grand Prix of Europe, for our anniversary in July 2025.”
Case studies show the importance of ambition: Grand Prix
“Our aim here is not to compete with the world’s biggest licensors. We know our market and our niche – which is significant – with 7 million visitors a year to Europa Park Resort and with high awareness across German, French, and Swiss markets.
“An independent feature film like Grand Prix, with a reasonable budget, is a niche product. But with the power of Europa-Park, I believe it could be hugely successful, potentially exceeding two million cinema admissions in its core territories.”
“Even without Europa-Park, we are hoping that around 50 million people will see the film worldwide. Whilst our eventual aim is for a stand-alone film content business model, Grand Prix will also act as the largest ever marketing campaign for Europa-Park. This will also coincide with the park’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
“The synergies are enormous, and the 50th anniversary campaign also supports the film’s marketing. We are very curious about the brand value we will create for our mascots Ed and Edda, making them an even better-known IP!”
Rulantica
“Rulantica is another great example. Our indoor water park is based on our own fictional story world, with its main character, Snorri.”
“Originally, the plan with the water park was to leverage the awareness and trust in the main Europa-Park brand. But Michael convinced the family to invest in creating a new stand-alone brand, based on an entirely original fictional story. A park dedicated to the brand and its characters.
“Before the theming was even defined, we created a novel series that would align with the needs of the park and tell a successful, epic story. With the money invested in developing the brand, the marketing power behind the entire park, and already one million visitors a year, Rulantica is now a relevant IP.
“The novel series sold volumes in the high hundreds of thousands—numbers that other publishers only dream of. Additionally, Snorri skyrocketed as a character that people truly fell in love with.”
“Do not underestimate the power of a destination as a platform”
“So, my message to the market out there is: Do not underestimate the power of a destination as a platform and the marketing power and leverage that a location like Europa-Park can create. Europa-Park provides more leverage for a film release in our target region than many others can allocate for their marketing efforts.
“The way we’re creating transmedia and cross-media, like with our Grand Prix full-length feature, is definitely unique.
“We have an attraction, parade, ice show, console game, merchandise, and much more. We need to go all-in with this first big film and prove the potential of working with Europa-Park and Mack.
“If the Grand Prix film goes well, let’s see if there is a chance for a TV series. It is definitely our vision to become a content producer in animation films and TV series!
“To succeed, you also have to team up with well-established players and distribution networks. Warner Bros. in Germany recognises all these benefits, and we are thrilled to produce our first full-length feature with them!”
A Grandma hiding dinosaurs in her backyard
“Our most successful IP is Mme Freudenreich. In 2018, we had the challenge to renew our dinosaur ride.
“As with everything at Europa-Park at that time, it didn’t have a unique fictional story. We were showing dinosaurs like they had lived – but for the redevelopment, we came up with the idea of a grandma hiding dinosaurs in her backyard, feeding them cake and treating them like pets.”
“To be honest, when Michael Mack approached his family, they were a little sceptical!
“But our theming team from Mack Solutions did awesome drawings that the family loved and with which we approached our publisher, Coppenrath. They liked the drawings and the story, and so we made several books about the grandma and her grandchildren visiting.
“The picture book series became a top seller in Germany, selling over 300,000 books. The CEO of Germany’s children’s TV channel KiKA came to the park to experience the ride, having been made aware of the books. Eventually, this ended up with them proactively asking us to produce a TV series.
“This is our biggest success so far – with the series, Dino Mates, airing at the beginning of fall in Germany with the help of Studio 100 worldwide.”
The future is bright for Mack Magic
“Europa-Park and Mack will not be driven solely by IPs, but they certainly play a role.
“We create synergies whilst staying true to our origins and DNA in the park. Rulantica is a good example of a whole, integrated world. However, as part of Michael Mack’s vision to become a content production company, there will also be productions that first see the light on screen, and if successful, find their way back to the park.
“But for now, our focus is on our ongoing projects: Ed & Edda, Rulantica with Snorri, Freudenreich with Dino Mates, the Yomis, and our Adventure Club of Europe.”
There is no ‘one right way’ – and not all partnerships are equal
“Third-party IPs can bring significant benefits – for example, marketing value if you find a good, strategic fit.
“However, most parks also have mascots. I would advise not to underestimate the fact that your attraction becomes part of memories, and that has value. No matter how small you start, recognise the opportunity that visitor numbers and the time guests spend with you add.
“Consider how you can develop your own mascot / IP as your true, unique symbol. Even if you also collaborate with third-party IPs. A great inspiration for me are the Chimelong parks with Kaka and Kiki, which are featured everywhere in their parks.
“You create memories and the attraction serves as a platform…so start now to reap the long-term benefits!”
