As summer comes to an end and family visits slow down, Liseberg,
the largest amusement park in the Nordics, is focusing on engaging
the target audience of “Seniors.” This group is typically reached
through communications centered on afternoon tea dances and flower
exhibitions. We wanted to change the perception of how older adults
are viewed in advertising and communication.
–Many seniors are pleasure seekers with high expectations for
entertainment and excitement – and they’re certainly not afraid of a
challenge, says Joakim Brinkenberg, Client Director at the
communication agency Welcom in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The idea, “70 is the New 17,” is brought to life in the PR-driven
campaign Super Seniors campaign, centered around a world record
attempt designed to attract media attention.
–With no media budget, we needed a creative concept with strong PR
potential that could generate multiple media opportunities, says
Mårten Westlund, Head of PR and Communications at Liseberg.
Earlier this year, Liseberg called for adventurous seniors to join an
attempt to break the world record for the highest average age on a
roller coaster. The previous record, set in 2003 at Blackpool Pleasure
Beach in the UK, was 75.25 years.
–We were overwhelmed by the response – over 200 seniors from
across Sweden signed up for the chance to be part of this historic
event, adds Mårten Westlund, Head of PR and Communications at
Liseberg.
On a crisp autumn day, these brave seniors boarded Valkyria, Europe’s
longest Dive Coaster, and smashed the record, achieving an average
rider age of 80.1 years.
The Super seniors generated e.g. three live segments on national TV,
and approximately two hours of live broadcasting from the
amusement park on two regional stations of Sweden's national public
radio broadcaster. Additionally, the Super seniors broke Liseberg's
TikTok record with 1,036,000 views.
