PKI Name Change in Progress?

[TheKlockster]

I just saw a commercial on TV for Winterfest - and it referred to the park as Kings Island - not Paramount's Kings Island, as they usually do. Back when they did that survey about CBS buying the park, they asked what people thought would be the best thing to call it. Do you think this is the beginning of the end of Paramount's Kings Island, and the dawn of just Kings Island?

[Legend Rider]

I think it would be great to go back to "Kings Island"

[SkootersFan]

I think that would totally suck!

[Captain Picard]

What would they do with The Paramount Story?

[CoastersRZ]

Retheme it, like they did when Paramount bought the park. It was known as Tower Gardens prior to 1993.

[Reclaimer]

Didn't they change the logo at the front of the fountain inside the gates from the Paramount's Kings Island logo to just "Kings Island" just before Winterfest? Or am I just nuts? I haven't been to the park since beginning of October, so I'm kind of out of the loop, so to speak.

[SkootersFan]

That was so the Paramount thing above it wouldn't show behind the light ceremony thing.

[SixFlagsMasta]

but could easily be for a name change too.. once i say the paramount part down i assumed it was for a name change anyway but didn't make anything of it.

[CoastersRZ]

Actually, they took down the Paramount banner, so that they could put up a WinterFest sign. I`m sure that they will bring back the Paramount sign next spring. (I like the way they have the WinterFest sign so you can still see most of it from in front of the lighting ceremony display.

I wouldn`t read too much into them not refering to themselves as Paramount`s Kings Island. In fact, in the last year or so (maybe even a little longer) they have stopped referring to themselves in advertisements as Paramount`s Kings Island (at least they have reduced the amount of times they include the P). Most Cincinnatian`s will call it Kings Island, even though it has been Paramount now for twelve years. Its just easier to say Kings Island than Paramount`s Kings Island. While it will soon be under the CBS company instead of Viacom, it is my understanding that Paramount Parks will still be the company in direct control of the park.

[Gordon Bombay]

I doubt they will change the name and drop the Paramount, Paramount owns the park to promote its movies, not everyone knows that Tomb Raider and Italian Job are paramount movies, Im sure Viacom wants the Paramount name expressed when it can be.

[WooferBearATL]

Well, I've never called it Paramount's Kings Island so it would not make much of a difference to me.

I think that it would probably be good as far as marketing goes to drop the Paramount monicer.

Set each park as individual attractions and not just a chain such as McDonalds.

[Outdoor Man]

nice thought WooferAtl.... but not likely to happen. Paramount uses the parks to get extra mileage out of their movies.... which is good marketing on their part.

To bad the Shrek / most Steven Spielberg titles won't come with the Dreamworks deal.... would much rather see Donkey roaming the park than the Star Trek characters of a few years ago.

[SixFlagsMasta]

nobody really knows it's a paramount park anyway.. it's always just called Kings Island. so its not like the name "Paramount's Kings Island" is helping it sell the movies much...cause no one knows the name as that.

[jzarley]

nobody really knows it's a paramount park anyway.. it's always just called Kings Island. so its not like the name "Paramount's Kings Island" is helping it sell the movies much...cause no one knows the name as that.

No one knows the name as that?

Every TV, radio, and print ad I've seen/heard for the past 12 years has had the word "Paramount" in it. I also think it would be nearly impossible during that same time to buy a t-shirt, hat, or coffee mug without the Paramount name emblazoned across it. I'm willing to bet that you could ask 100 Ohioans at random what company owns Kings Island, and 90% would be able to tell you "Paramount." I do agree that in casual conversation most people still just call it "King's Island" (I know I do), but that doesn't mean that the general public is ignorant of the Paramount branding.

I agree with Wooferbear's comment that it would be nice if the parks were able to regain some of their "local" personality and identity. But, let's face it...media companies own theme parks for one reason and one reason only--to promote their media properties. Theme parks are a high cost/low margin business...the value to Viacom (and NBC-Universal, and Disney) is the marketing advantages to promoting their brands, not in the operation of the parks themselves.

[Captain Nemo]

CBS Kings Island- Brought by viewers like you, thank you.

Sorry, I had to say it.

I don't see the name changing. If they did that they would most likly take out paramount in all their parks.

[FOF/Z 4-ever]

^and ruin a brand new Paramount's Kings Island sign that is located out front.

[pyrocoasterkid]

Yea I was wondering the same thing... I noticed a few days ago on my way home from OSU that all of the Winterfest billboards refer to it as Kings Island, not Paramounts Kings Island, as all of their usual billboards of past have said. As far as I could tell, there was no Paramount reference on the sign at all.

[HomerJay]

Paramount won't go...it's a great way for the company to get their marketing in via the park. . . whether through a ride or through just putting posters up.

As for people calling in PKI or just Kings Island...I've never told my friends "Let's go to Paramount's Kings Island." It's Kings Island. The name is just a brand. But the park is what stands alone.

[deidre1976]

I think it should be just Kings Island, that is what we grew up with. How many people ask their buddies do you wanna go to Paramounts Kings Island with me? I imagine not . Wanna go to Kings Island......yeah that works.

[CoastersNSich]

Earlier today I saw a new WinterFest TV commerical, which now has new live-action footage, which all looks great! This might help build attendance some when people see an actual event with real people and activities, rather than some computer-generated images.

When it opened up, the announcer simply said "Kings Island," but at the end of the commercial, when the WinterFest logo was shown, he does say "Paramount's Kings Island."

I wouldn't be surprised if they were phasing the "Paramount" name from Kings Island and the parks - but would be if some of the Paramount movie themes and names were removed, like Top Gun, Italian Job, and Face/Off.

My guess if renamed, it would be "Kings Island: A CBS (Family Theme) Park". - thus the corporate part would be done the same way Cedar Fair does it.

(i.e. Cedar Point, A Cedar Fair, L.P. Park)

[Reclaimer]

Changing the name would require quite a bit of work on the park's part, and since Paramount Parks still has the Kings Island, I doubt it'd change over the course of a few months in the off-season.

Next time you're at the park, just count how many Paramount logos and such you see. It's on the water tower in Action Zone, Action Zone is called "Paramount" Action Zone. There's the Paramount Theatre. All (or most) of the rides have Paramount's Kings Island on them, etc, etc. Not to mention all of the employee uniforms, maintenance trucks, and all the other stuff.

Not saying it won't happen...but if it does, it'll surely be a slow phase-out.

[Skippy]

Maybe they'll make PKI's sign more like PKD's for once, as their's looks much nicer Their sign has always gone with the white and blue color scheme while our's always goes with just plain blue, take a look:

PKD's OLD Entrance Sign

PKI's OLD Entrance Sign

PKD's NEW Entrance Sign

PKI's NEW Entrance Sign

See what I mean, what's up with that? It bugs me but hey, what can you do I don't think the Paramount name is going anywhere, I mean, wouldn't the brand new entrance and parking lot signs look kind of odd with out the Paramount logo above them? Not to mention the amount of de/retheming they would have to do! You people don't ralize just how Paramount our park has become Compare the first picture of Paramount Pictures actual studio to two pictures of PKI below it:

Paramount Pictures

Paramount's Action Zone

PKI Parking Lot Sign

Notice any similarities? Not only is the parking lot sign designed after the actual Paramount Pictures studio entrance (old news), but the water tower located in Paramount's Action Zone is an exact replica of the actual Paramount Watertower, so there's lot's of neat little touches of Paramount placed throughout the PKI (besides the name and logo) that many don't even notice! While I don't call it Paramount's Kings Island when I'm talking to my friends, only Kings Island, I would really miss it if it left as it's really become part of the park, but like I said before, I don't think it's leaving any time soon!

[Captain Picard]

No one thinks about it but they could close all the parks and walk away.

I don't see why they would want to change the name. I don't think it would effect the attendance. It would just cost them money to change it.

[SkootersFan]

You're so negative...

[Captain Picard]

I know, I just wish someone would post something new and worth talking about. The forums had some good stuff on them and now it's just the same old BS.

[Gordon Bombay]

^Exactly, these forums are going downhill, too many people not searching before they post and too much of the same topics like "Kings Island becoming its own park again" "when will this coaster be torn down?" "PKI open year round" "this video game update" (not that hearing about other media is bad, but too often were seeing something about a video game and not the park, go to IGN to talk about video games" too many 13 year olds posting the same crap over and over again. We need some new and interesting topics again.

[jlopez]

The park will not change the name. Why would they be making a Nickelodeon Universe if they were, and plus they just build IJST. Think People.

---Jennifer

[jlopez]

I just seen the comercial a few minutes ago and at the beggining it only saus Kings Island but at the end it does say Paramount Kings Island.

--Jennifer

[italianchef]

So long as Viacom/CBS own Kings Island, the formal name will be Paramount's Kings Island. If the company finds a buyer, like they wish to, then and only then will "Paramount" be dropped from the name. That's my humble opinion anyway.

Have a great weekend!

Italian Chef

[WooferBearATL]

No, that is more than reasonable.

A prospective buyer will want to brand the parks as their own. I think that they'd be making a mistake to change the main monikers (ie - Kings Island, Kings Dominion, etc) but they could easily drop or change the first part.