As much as I don't like it, I also don't think anyone outside of this forum will really care. Not that that makes it okay, just my two cents
For the record, I agree with this.
if I was in Busch’s shoes I would’ve done the exact same thing.
I’m making a coaster that has a ton of tiebacks to a former coaster. Do I A) use an existing name that people still know and love, gaining more ticket sales or B) use a new name that will require a ton more marketing and exposure. Keep in mind this project is also tucked away in a corner of the park.
You can say the name is cliche or uninspired, but this name choice will only be beneficial for Busch.
Don’t shoot the messenger!
I also agree that, insofar as immediate returns go, BGW does stand to gain a ton from cashing in on the Big Bad Wolf name in the short-term.
My argument is not that this is a poor business decision in the immediate term. In the lead-up to the ride's debut, naming it Big Bad Wolf and telling people that The Big Bad Wolf is coming back is almost guaranteed to massively outperform any other strategy. I'm happy to concede that point.
I believe the immediate issues are only something passionate nerds like myself are likely to care about (protecting the legacy of a legendary coaster instrumental to the park's development). I believe the real pitfalls of this name theft will come much later on down the line.
This coaster
will not compare favorably to The Big Bad Wolf. Capitalizing on the nostalgia and legacy of the theme was great, but by stealing the name, they are asserting it not as a tribute, but as a replacement. As a trubute, a small family invert is a good, cute idea. As a replacement, a small family invert is a laughably poor knockoff.
There's an enormous difference between capitalizing on nostalgia by paying tribute to something and blatantly attempting to steal the nostalgia away from something to boost a new product. This name change has shifted this project from the former to the later to me. I also believe the change will massively increase the direct comparisons made between the two Big Bad Wolfs—something that only serves to diminish the 2025 coaster long, long into the future. It will
always be the lesser Big Bad Wolf. Inflicting this coaster with that burden from the start is just sad.
Lastly, I'd say that, by stealing the original's branding, BGW has made it much more difficult to capitalize on nostalgia around the original coaster or this new one long into the future. Personally, I am now dramatically less likely to buy or wear Big Bad Wolf throwback merchandise because I want to own stuff relating to the iconic Arrow Suspended coaster, not a super tame B&M family invert. By going with a name that pays tribute, BGW could sell merch and market off nostalgia for the original Wolf long into the future alongside developing a new but related base of fans for the 2025 coaster. Instead, by conflating the two, they've effectively substantially lessened the long-term value of each, in my opinion—and prevented any ability to capitalize on them separately (at minimum, reducing two brands to one).