Turning screams into record attendance.
Teens were increasingly bored with the traditional mall experience, so we created a surprising campaign that transformed adrenaline-fueled screams into shareable social moments, revitalizing Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America and reversing a declining attendance trend.
passes sold in two months
#NickelodeonUniverse posts to Instagram in one month
Increase in Overall Reach Goal
The Challenge
Despite being housed in North America’s largest mall with 40 million annual visitors, Nickelodeon Universe was experiencing declining attendance from the valuable teen and tween demographic and their mall-shopping parent “chauffeurs.” The challenge was to overcome teen indifference while providing compelling, shareable experiences to draw them back.
“Been there. Bored that.”
Teens had a “been there, done that” attitude toward both the theme park and Mall of America. Their environment felt repetitive and unstimulating, failing to align with their developmental need for novel experiences, autonomy, and identity exploration. For teens, cool places are defined not just by the experience but by its shareability—if you can’t post about it, is it even worth doing?
Teens thrive on adrenaline
We discovered a powerful insight: the adrenaline rush of controlled chaos serves as a coping mechanism for teen stress. Rather than fighting teen behavior, we celebrated it by turning their natural screams into social currency. This approach validated their experiences while providing the novelty and shareability they craved.
The Idea
Meet The Scream Collector. A mad scientist obsessed with hunting Minneapolis for the best screams. Ride at Nickelodeon Universe, let loose, and he’ll capture your chaos and blast it across citywide billboards. Finally, someone who thinks your screams are valuable.
We covered Minneapolis in billboards featuring The Scream Collector’s challenge: prove your scream is collectible. Traditional OOH drove people to the park, then digital boards showcased real riders’ screams captured that same day—turning teens’ raw reactions into citywide proof of the ultimate thrill.
Scream Teams
Inside Nickelodeon Universe, roaming “Scream Teams” brought The Scream Collector to life—hunting for reactions, celebrating chaos, and turning every ride into a potential viral moment. The idea extended from broad awareness all the way to how we showed up in the park, creating a true full-funnel experience. From billboards to the ride itself, the message stayed consistent: teen screams aren’t a problem to control, they’re currency to collect.
Social became the trophy case of screams
Social media became The Scream Collector’s digital trophy case. We blanketed feeds with “Catches of the Day”—showcasing the most epic screams collected at the park and turning riders into instant celebrities. An interactive Scream-O-Meter let teens measure their scream’s pitch, volume, and collectibility, gamifying the experience and fueling competition. We made sharing effortless—riders could instantly find their scream photos and videos, then post them with branded filters and hashtags. The result: 19,500+ #NickelodeonUniverse posts as teens voluntarily turned themselves into walking advertisements for the experience.
