Heide Park Resort Encourages Visitors to Expect the Unexpected

Award-winning modular agency Modern Citizens has unveiled a bold new campaign, ‘Expect the Unexpected’, for Heide Park Resort, part of Merlin Entertainments.

The integrated campaign repositions the beloved German theme park as a destination full of surprise, delight and emotional highs that defy expectation.

The campaign showcases the breadth of experiences available to visitors – from the gravity-defying thrills of Colossos and Krake to a whimsical hot air balloon ride with Peppa Pig.

At the heart of the campaign is an unexpected symphonic twist: a mischievous 10-year-old conductor orchestrating a choral arrangement of screams, laughter and gasps, set entirely to Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No.9. Developed by Radical Media, Curtis Stansfield and the sounds experts at 750mph, the ad turns the park’s guests into the instruments of a joyous, high-octane score.

The campaign will run across digital, TV and streaming platforms, including Amazon, Netflix and Disney+, as well as radio, paid social, digital display and on-site media. In addition, a series of real-world activations will extend the experience beyond the screen, including surprise performances from a live choir at Heide Park and other North German locations.

Aimed at domestic tourists within a few hours’ drive of the resort, the campaign speaks to a broad audience: families looking for a fun getaway and thrill-seeking teens drawn to Heide Park’s biggest rides.

​Stu Outhwaite-Noel, chief creative officer, Modern Citizens said, “A measure of how great a campaign has been, is whether you’ll still be talking about it in five years’ time. Given this has a mustachioed 10-year-old, conducting a resort full of German screaming guests in a rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No9, I reckon I’ll still be banging on about it in retirement. It’s been a joy from start to finish with plenty of vertical drops, loop the loops and shrieks of delight along the way.”

George Hope, marketing director, Merlin Entertainments added, “We are thrilled to continue bringing unforgettable experiences to our guests at Heide Park that go far beyond the expected. Our new brand campaign celebrates the incredible breadth of adventures and surprises that await every guest, by introducing a unique symphony that brings the Heide Park spirit to life in a whole new way. We’re excited to invite everyone to discover just how much more there is to explore – and feel – at Heide Park, and to be part of this exciting new chapter with us."