Why Is Six Flags Targeting Kids with a Creepy Old Guy?

His name is Mr. Six — clever, right? — and his troll-like antics may prevent you from ever setting foot in a Six Flags park, no matter how exciting that Batman ride is. He first popped up in Six Flag ads in 2004, a geriatric sideshow obviously played by a younger actor. Mr. Six dementedly shimmied to the equally annoying late-'90s dance song "We Like to Party" while in the confines of a Six Flag facility. Dressed in a floppy tuxedo and wearing black-rimmed glasses larger than most skyscraper windows, Mr. Six has a wrinkled face, a victim of makeup malpractice, that looks like "someone left a dead turtle in a stagnant pool of water for a month," in the words of one advertising blogger. A New York City radio host wondered if Mr. Six was actually "Junior Soprano out on a bender."

The new commercials are receiving scathing reviews. "It's a pretty miserable piece of advertising," says Barbara Lippert, a critic for Adweek, the trade publication. "It's as dumb as can be, and talks down to us. He's like an Elmer Fudd who never made it out into the country." Every moment of a 30-sec. spot is valuable. Why sacrifice precious time to a character with no natural connection to an amusement park? And how exactly does a creepy old man in a bow tie appeal to the kids that drive Six Flags' business? "I don't think many 11-year-olds relate to George Burns types," says Lippert. Hey, don't insult a late, great funnyman by comparing him to Mr. Six.

Six Flags has talked to parents, Vieira Barocas insists. And for the most part, their children give Mr. Six rave reviews. "It's not about his age," she says. "It's about his spirit." According to the company, market research shows Mr. Six has fans of all ages. "We know he's a polarizing character," Vieira Barocas says. "But on any day I would rather that someone have an opinion about us and our brand than for him to just melt into the background with all the other advertising that is out there. Would I prefer that you and other critics find him appealing? Absolutely. But I will take the fact that you notice, that you hear our message and that you have a point of view."

Why Is Six Flags Targeting Kids with a Creepy Old Guy?