by Graham Speak, Speak Consulting
Is there a more unique theme park location anywhere on the globe than the Alton Towers Resort? Hidden away in the Staffordshire countryside, centred around the Towers themselves and surrounded by beautiful gardens, woods, and lakes, the attraction has history, stories, and myths to tell, dating back as far as the 1400s.
“It’s a special place. Alton Towers is about escapism and leaving the real world to enter stories,” Larry Roles, the resort’s marketing director, told me when we spoke earlier this month.
Driving down the country lanes to find the park is an adventure in itself. Families often compete to be the first to see the Towers poking over the trees or the bright signs marking the entrance to this story-filled adventure.
A big year for Alton Towers
Alton Towers is celebrating a big year – and storytelling is at the heart of it all. Its 30-year-old, iconic roller coaster, Nemesis, has just returned as Nemesis Reborn, ready to terrify another generation of thrill seekers. Alongside this, the Bluey phenomenon has arrived to help the UK’s only CBeebies Land celebrate its 10th anniversary. Plus, the resort is welcoming back the beloved Hex attraction. This is based on the story of the Earl of Shrewsbury and the mysterious Chained Oak.
Having grown up with Alton Towers, Roles looks back fondly at time spent at the park, with the likes of Thunder Looper and the Corkscrew. “I’ve always been intrigued by the way Alton Towers makes you feel.”
Joining nearly three years ago from Molson Coors, he is passionate about how storytelling can make a difference in our lives. “Successful brands create stories, which in turn create connections with fans. It’s a way of effectively linking what a product is through to why people actually care about it.”
Differentiating in a way only Alton Towers can
“Telling great stories is a way to differentiate the experience for guests. We’re focused on pulling our expert teams together to create ‘only at Alton Towers Resort can you…’ moments. The story helps to take the experience beyond the metal and hardware we use.”
Combining storytelling with Alton Towers’ unique geographical attributes is a real differentiator. “If we get it right, we should be able to look at our work and say we’re the only ones who can tell that story.”
Hex is one of Alton Towers’ popular dark rides. Guests enter through the Towers themselves and become immersed in the story of a past resident, the Earl of Shrewsbury. “The fact there is so much love for Hex tells us there is probably more we can do with the Alton brand in terms of the history and heritage and how that is applied through attractions and experiences.”
Roles explains it isn’t just about the history of the site but also its unique geographical location:
“The fact you’ve got The Curse at Alton Manor in the middle of a forest that is naturally there is a great thing.”
Whilst often a benefit for the purposes of storytelling, Alton Towers’ location also creates challenges that the teams have to contend with. When Nemesis opened in 1994, it had to be dug into a massive pit in the ground. This was to avoid being seen over the tree line to be in line with planning regulations.
However, this constraint could be argued to have provided the spark for the greatest example of storytelling in the resort’s history.
Building emotional connections through storytelling at Alton Towers
In a recent blooloop article, I delved into some of the reasons for the multi-generational success of Nemesis. Roles adds to the topic:
“If we can build a substantive attraction, with a strong story, we’ll build a much deeper connection – which is more likely to stand the test of time and build nostalgia, as has been the case with Nemesis.”
“The love for Nemesis gave us an opportunity to tell a story about the attraction’s rebuilding rather than just putting up signs saying it would be closed for a year. We built out the story around the Phalanx to excite guests and fans in the project. We used moments like the Fireworks events to launch key plotlines.”
Creating stories for different audiences
Asked about making stories work for different audiences, Roles explained:
“Fans are vocal in this industry. You only need to look at our social feeds when we put something out there to see if it’s landed well.
“We develop plotlines that have enough depth for enthusiasts. But we are also careful to make sure they make sense for more casual fans. We want guests to be able to dip into things as much or as little as they like and still make sense of it.”
There are other balances to consider, too, including how to ensure stories aren’t too dark. After all, many visitors come for a thrilling but fun break from reality.
Roles points to the example of the Nemesis Reborn advert starring night security guard Percy. One minute, he is seen being swallowed up by the Nemesis creature (which in itself would be a pretty dark storyline), and the next minute, he is flung around the alien’s tracks, screaming and smiling.
“We worked with a fantastic creative agency, director, and production company who were really on board with delivering the whole message and recognised that ultimately, we wanted this to be a story where people want to go and be part of that.”
Bringing together stories as part of Alton Towers escapism
Whilst much of the storytelling at Alton Towers is targeted at different audiences, Roles says:
“We always wrap them so it feels like they come from the same brand of Alton Towers escapism” – whether that is the creative style or music used through communications.
One well-loved feature often deployed by the storytellers at Alton Towers is the use of the familiar ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ musical piece.
“Now synonymous with Alton Towers, the piece is adapted based on the specific story we are telling, be that light-hearted and jolly or slightly more thrilling and mysterious. Either way, it’s one of the tools we use to link each of the individual stories back under the broader Alton Towers escape narrative.”
Appealing to all age groups means telling stories for younger guests is equally important at Alton Towers.
This year, the partnership with CBeebies celebrates its 10th anniversary. This has allowed the resort to appeal to visitors with younger children. The stories of many of these characters form part of guests’ lives every day. In some cases, like Postman Pat, they have been loved by multiple generations of visitors.
Speaking about IP partnerships at the resort, Roles says:
“Whilst we work with the specialists across the Merlin business to create many of our own stories, we sometimes work with external IPs and their stories.” Asked about when they choose to do this, he added: “It’s really about establishing the need we are trying to answer for our guests”.
Helping guests buy into the stories
Whatever audience stories the Alton Towers Resort aims to excite, Roles is keen to ensure guests can fully immerse themselves in the experience. “Retail and F&B are important because that’s another way for our guests to engage with the story.”
Raj’s Shop, as part of The World of David Walliams, is full of character and jokes, making the space an attraction in its own right. Guests can buy themed F&B from Coach House Confectionary outside The Curse at Alton Manor.
However, Roles is particularly proud of Supply Store Bunker 94. This is part of the redeveloped Forbidden Valley and Nemesis Reborn project.
“The new shop for Nemesis Reborn is quite incredible. There’s theming in there that almost forms part of the attraction itself, like the 3D-printed model of the Nemesis creature and original eyes [from the original Nemesis monster]. All of the lighting is rigged to deliver that story as well.
“I think it’s super intriguing that we had queues on opening weekend for the shop at the same time as having them for the ride. It’s a testament to how much people wanted to be part of the total experience. It’s definitely what we’re trying to do as an organisation.”
Storytelling at Alton Towers is a team effort
Asked how this came about, Roles talked about the involvement of both internal and external teams across the Merlin organisation from the start of any project:
“Everyone gets a seat at the table, whether that’s creative, commercial, retail, and many others. The story arc plays a critical role here, as it becomes a single version of the truth – of how things need to be executed. We can ask, is this execution delivering against the story we’re trying to execute?”
Commercial partnerships can also be incredibly powerful in the attractions sector when delivered authentically. With some well-established partnerships across the Merlin group, putting guests at the heart of decision-making is the magic formula. Roles says:
“It’s less about turning commercial opportunities down but more about developing things that our guests would want to take home or be part of.”
Finding the right products (that are authentic to the story) for the target audience segments and engaging the right partners is critical:
“In the 1990s, when Nemesis launched, there were some key merch items that people remember. For instance, a limited-edition Nemesis blackcurrant and liquorice-flavoured fizzy drink. So, this time, we’ve worked with Coca-Cola Freestyle to create a bespoke flavour on the park for Nemesis Reborn. It echoes the original story.
“Then we looked at taking this one step further. Last year, we worked with a local brewer for Oktoberfest to have our own themed ale. It had a great reception, and so we partnered with them again to create a Nemesis Reborn canned beer. It has flown off the shelves. That is a great example of a well-targeted partnership based on what we know fans want. Furthermore, we could never have done that ourselves.”
Becoming part of the story
Roles discusses other considerations outside of the immediate ride envelope besides retail and partnerships. He explains the importance of redeveloping whole areas at Alton Towers, like Gloomy Wood or Forbidden Valley, to immerse guests in the storytelling before they even get to the attraction itself.
Lots more theming has been added around the park to help tell the story. Roles adds:
“What is great is that the story of Nemesis is being told every day by our actors on-site. And every day guests come to visit, they can be part of that story.”
Over the past few seasons, a greater focus has been placed on live actors. This includes gravediggers performing around The Curse at Alton Manor, The Beornen at Wicker Man, and The Phalanx in place across Forbidden Valley.
“The reason that they are landing so well is because they’re an intrinsic part of telling that story. There’s the physical experience – but then the individualised experience you get with actors is fantastic. We will keep asking ourselves how we continue to integrate actors to help tell the story.”
When it comes to stories, it’s not all about the rides and shows. Events programs are becoming a much more significant part of an attraction’s calendar, and Alton Towers is no exception.
Whilst Roles is tight-lipped about plans for future events, he comments:
“I think as we continue to develop storytelling, it will continue to grow. If you were here for our February half-term event, you’d have seen the Pirate Takeover, which was a great example. This was fundamentally storytelling throughout that whole event.”
The future of storytelling at Alton Towers
“I think the future’s bright for Alton Towers. We’ve got strong backing from the Merlin business and a pipeline of developments coming down the line. The Curse at Alton Manor was a great start for us from a story point of view. We’ve taken that to the next level with Nemesis Reborn.”
Roles isn’t resting on his laurels, though. He passionately talks about healthy competition in the industry, creating better experiences for guests. “Hopefully, other resorts and attractions look at what we do for inspiration. We’ll then want to go bigger and better—and together, the industry just gets stronger and better for the guests.
“We will continue to try and outdo ourselves with the stories we tell. We’re asking ourselves how we can continue to innovate and be at the forefront. I think that’s the personal challenge that we set ourselves.”
If Nemesis Reborn is anything to go by, I can’t wait to experience the stories that are brought to life next.
