Cedar Fair's Alpen Fury
The Teaser
Before The Thrill
Tucked inside the heart Canada’s Wonderland, a new record-breaking launch coaster was under construction. The problem? It was still under wraps — no name, no footage, no public details. Our challenge: build national anticipation without showing the full ride. See where I worked my magic
HALLOWEEN IS
A TRICKY TIME
FOR SPIRITS.
Too many kid-centric visuals. Too much risk around underage appeal. And way too many campaigns that lean cheesy. To make matters worse, shopper reps were “fixing” the problem themselves by decorating premium spirits displays with Party City props to make them feel more festive. Pernod Ricard needed a Halloween campaign for their portfolio of brands that felt immersive, elevated, and unmistakably adult.
HOW DO YOU TEASE A RIDE NO ONE’S ALLOWED TO SEE?
All we had were fragments: fire, ice, a mountain launch, nine inversions, a top speed of 115 kilometers per hour, (which is apparently very fast according to people who actually use the metric system), and some painfully rough 3D renderings. So we turned those pieces into emotion. We imagined the mountain awakening with cracks of light, molten bursts, and a surge through ice and flame that mirrored the real launch. The teaser showed quick flashes of track and motion but never the full picture, just enough to make thrill-seekers lean in.
The mountain comes alive
The campaign was shot throughout Olympic National Park, chosen for its range of ecosystems and weather that is a close match to the landscapes where Fjällräven was born. From high elevation trails to rugged coastline to deep backcountry, the park gave us the variety we needed to tell our three summer stories: day hiking, coastal camping, and backpacking.
the impact
The teaser launched across social channels, immediately causing fans to jump into the comments with countdowns and guesses. Since then, this post has pulled in more than 14K likes, nearly 3x typical engagement. Proof that even a glimpse can cause a rush.
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Theme park launches often start long before a ride is finished, which means creative teams work from early renders, engineering diagrams, and whatever tiny details are approved for daylight.
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Wonder Mountain is the park’s emotional centerpiece. Imagine Disney World’s Cinderella Castle, but with daily cliff-diving shows and the occasional explosion.
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Alpen Fury launches riders straight out of the center of Wonder Mountain, bursting through the rock before winding back through the mountain and surrounding peaks, making the mountain itself part of the ride experience.
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Because the ride didn’t exist in the real world yet, we partnered with an external production house to build it entirely in CGI. All they had to work from were extremely rough, incredibly slow 3D mockups.
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Senior Art Director on the concept and pitch phase
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Originated the teaser concept, storyboard, and supers
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Directed the sound, music, pacing, and tone that defined the experience
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Shaped the visual language using rough 3D renders before execution
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Set the creative foundation that production later brought to life in 3D
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