Ocean Park leads Halloween themed entertainment

Ocean Park Hong Kong has embarked on a second decade of Halloween themed entertainment with its 11th annual Halloween Bash.

Ocean Park's industry leading Halloween events have this year been expanded into the 'Republic of Halloween'. Introducing the entertainment Ocean Park Chairman Dr. Allan Zeman explains that "during the past ten years of Halloween Bash, over 2,800 ghosts have offered frightful fun to some four million guests. For the next 10 years, we will take Ocean Park Halloween Bash's spirit of innovation to new heights.

"The establishment of the Republic of Halloween will help us spread Hong Kong's unique Halloween culture, engendered by Ocean Park, to all corners of the world.

"Among this year's unprecedented offers are the inauguration discount and 25 haunted attractions and showsï¾the largest number ever. As Hong Kong's People's Park, we have always been supportive of local creativity.

"This year, we are introducing for the first time ever a locally-developed 3D technology in our Nightmare in 3D to plunge guests into a world where reality and illusion cannot be distinguished. We have also created a solo haunted journey in Fear Factory, where each guest would have to escape from a booby-trapped coffin factory alone.

"We will also put on a Carnival for the Damned at Aqua City. The show will include the first-ever haunted spectacular on a water-screen. In addition, guests will have a chance to encounter 444 ghosts and ghouls, including Lady Gwai Gwai, a superstar in the underworld. We will also spread Halloween culture outside the Park to all of Hong Kong through a ghost car parde, haunted commercials, ghastly gifts, a macabre embassy and more. Kids visiting Ocean Park in the daytime during this year's Halloween Bash period can share in the Halloween spirit at Creepy Treats for Kids, a haunted house specially created inside Whisker's Harbour for the young and the brave."

With the celebration of Halloween becoming more popular across China, an increasing number of visitors from mainland China are making a pilgrimage to Ocean Park for an authentic taste of Halloween.

Mindful of this, Ocean Park has created the 'Torture Chamber of the Dragon Empress', which features many eerie elements familiar to all Chinese people. An evil empress will bust out of her coffin to brandish some of the most notorious torture devices, including a Chinese finger-vise and the freaky flying guillotine. Guests who manage to escape the Chamber can visit the Psychic Club to learn about their future from a fortuneteller who dispenses his wisdom in rap; they can also dance away their fears at Nightmare Prelude, Fury of Lights, Satire from the Other Side or Forbidden Dances.

This year has also seen Hong Kong Disneyland doubling its digital budget for its Halloween campaign, investing in augmented reality, 3D morphing webisodes, and group-buying to lure youths to its theme park.

Hong Kong Disneyland Marketing Director Frederick Chan explains that the planning behind this year's Halloween campaign shifted significantly from traditional media-driven communications to digital as the core.

Chan stated "we have spent more time to think creatively in terms of content creation, whether it is weaving in interactive elements into the in-park experience or creating innovative marketing ideas that allow our guests to be immersed in our Haunted Halloween story anytime, anywhere."

The company has also invited travel and lifestyle bloggers to a blogger engagement program to unveil its Halloween attractions.

Chan explains that Hong Kong Disneyland's digital push is "a benchmarking exercise" aimed at creating awareness and engagement. Success metrics will include the number of people who download the webisodes as well as tracking website traffic. 

11th October 2011 - SINGAPORE LAUNCHES HALLOWEEN THEMED EVENTS