Following on from the recent application of new side advertisements to Blackpool Flexity 006, sister car 005 has now joined it in gaining a new sponsor. This has now become the second of the Flexity2 class to receive advertising for the National Health Service, joining 008.
Whereas 008 features slogans warning of the dangers of high blood pressure on a pink background, 005 has received attractive blue adverts featuring slogans regarding memory loss. The design used is otherwise similar to 008 and the new NHS adverts have been applied in the usual positions, along the roof side and on the lower side panelling of the centre section of the tram – but only on one side. The other side retains its previous adverts for the Big Blue Hotel; presumably this will only be temporary until either a new sponsor can be found, or the time is taken to remove these posters.
The Pleasure Beach had been the dominant advertiser on Blackpool’s most modern class of trams almost since their introduction into service in 2012, but their stronghold is gradually slipping away. Apart from the one side of 005, only cars 013, 014 and 015 retain their Pleasure Beach adverts, and these feature Ripley’s ‘Believe It Or Not’ auditorium, the Big One rollercoaster and Nickelodeon Land respectively. It remains to be seen how much longer these adverts will remain in situ with the attraction seemingly no longer seeing a need to advertise on the trams.
What happened to the ripley’s advert on 013?
Nothing – 013 still carries Ripleys adverts which have nothing to do with the Pleasure Beach.
Suggest you check a photo of 013 Andrew… The wording on sections 2 & 4 says “PLEASURE BEACH”…
I believe that Ripleys is, like Nickelodeon Land, a franchise managed by the Pleasure Beach company. If 013 is not counted as a Pleasure Beach advert, then neither should 015…
I am perfectly aware of the situation regarding Ripleys, which is located alongside the Pleasure Beach but is a separate attraction to the amuseument park itself. Try going into Nickelodeon Land without paying for Pleasure Beach admission – an impossible task as it is located within the park itself and is an integral part of it, unlike Ripleys which exists as a separate business and one of many identical attractions to be found worldwide.
Ripleys is most definitely part of the Pleasure Beach company. I should know, I do work at the Beach! And as Paul said, it does say Pleasure Beach on 013s adverts.
It is true you don’t need to pay the Beach admission to visit Ripleys, but you don’t to stay in the Big Blue Hotel either.
When Trams Today who I take as the most reliable source for info on Blackpool trams, did their list of all the overall adverts, they described the advert on Balloon 723 as “associated with the Pleasure Beach” so to me like most others it is as much a Pleasure Beach advert as 005, 014 and 015.
https://www.facebook.com/144002195699684/photos/a.144063479026889.21501.144002195699684/353152324784669/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-frc3%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F521642_353152324784669_1064022096_n.jpg%3Foh%3D914ec93cd1082fb10132ce13d23004fc%26oe%3D54C42C09&size=960%2C658&fbid=353152324784669
Surely the NHS has no spare cash to go advertising on a Blackpool tram?