Happy birthday to you! Celebrating 75 years of Drayton Manor
2025 marked a special milestone for Drayton Manor Resort, as the Staffordshire-based park celebrated its 75th anniversary – and more than seven decades of providing white-knuckle action and adventure for generations of thrill-seeking visitors.
Appointed as Drayton Manor’s national PR agency in January 2025, we began working with the brand as it prepared to mark its special anniversary with a jam-packed schedule of events, activities and entertainment – so it was time to hit the ground running, and ensure that 2025 was the park’s biggest year yet.
Tasked with delivering headline-grabbing campaigns and activations, with a strong focus on securing stand-out broadcast coverage, our strategic year-round PR campaign plan was designed to maximise all media opportunities in the park’s landmark year.
As part of this, our proactive and ‘always on’ press office supported the park’s key seasonal trading periods, new shows and rides, and ongoing events calendar. Using our Midlands PR agency connections and knowledge also meant we had the edge with local media and could deliver consistent, high-quality press coverage and a strong share of voice against other visitor attractions in the region.
12 months of standout PR campaigns
From on-site event launches to prime-time broadcast hits… it’s been a rollercoaster ride full of PR highs! Here are some of our best bits from Drayton Manor’s big birthday year:
Young at heart: To mark 75 years of epic adventure, we invited a group of thrill-seeking over 70s to enjoy a day of fun at the park. As they fearlessly conquered some of the most popular rides, we proved that our daring septuagenarians were truly young at heart.
75th anniversary museum: To showcase Drayton Manor’s rich heritage, we announced the opening of a new on-site museum designed to celebrate the magic of the park through the decades. Packed with artifacts, vintage memorabilia, and iconic moments from Drayton Manor’s incredible history, the museum launch was attended by top-tier broadcast media.
Life is a rollercoaster: With Drayton Manor boasting a variety of exhilarating rides and awe-inspiring attractions, we invited broadcasters to get involved in the action! In total, five presenters delivered their pieces to camera from some of the park’s wildest rides, including BBC Breakfast’s Peter Ruddick – giving audiences a unique view of Drayton Manor’s biggest thrills and spills.
Milestone moments: Throughout the year, we secured high-quality coverage for the park’s busy events schedule. This included the launch of ‘Play Like Back in the Day’, which saw the park remove its admission fees and return to its original pricing system from the 1950s, the brand-new ‘End of Day Show’ spectacular, and key seasonal trading periods such as Easter, Summer, Halloween and Christmas.
Building a birthday buzz
To help Drayton Manor’s big birthday go off with a bang, we secured stand-out coverage that ensured the park’s landmark anniversary caught everyone’s attention.
With hundreds of features throughout the year, including 55 pieces of broadcast coverage, we reached an audience of more 3.3billion. Our print coverage spanned national, regional, and trade titles such as Daily Mirror, The Sun, Daily Mail, The Independent, Birmingham Live and Manchester Evening News.
National TV coverage included BBC Breakfast, ITV This Morning and Good Morning Britain. Leveraging our position as a Midlands PR agency with strong regional media connections, Drayton Manor was also regularly featured across target regional outlets – with a total of 110 minutes of broadcast coverage across 12 filming locations.
Our deep experience acting as a proactive press office for national visitor attractions enabled us to deliver a comprehensive PR strategy that hit every coverage KPI, with high-quality broadcast hits building buzz and excitement during Drayton Manor’s milestone year.
Working closely with the park’s in-house team, we’re excited for another year boosting brand awareness, driving footfall and ticket sales, and engaging and inspiring prospective visitors.
Drive national excitement with local expertise
As a leading Midlands PR agency with strong media connections across the UK, we specialise in creating PR campaigns that capture attention and deliver measurable results. From theme parks to retail destinations, our strategic approach is carefully crafted to create media moments that drive footfall and boost ticket sales.
Get in touch to discover how we can build a buzz around your next campaign.