Smoking Gun Agency

We don’t do PR. We shift consumer behaviour. We build trust. We change perceptions. We move your audience. We do intelligent, disruptive, ingenious communications campaigns - that solve real business problems. Revealing our new look today - smokinggun.agency

Agency aims to GRO following huge retail property win loom.ly/RAPDgYE @SmokingGunPR

A scare maze master behind some of the UK’s most terrifying scare mazes has revealed the biggest mistakes thrillseekers make while braving the spine-tingling experiences. James Mundy, Creative Theming and Scenic Manager at @altontowers, has devoted his 20-year career to creating new and more immersive ways to terrify the public. As a child, James remembers terrifying trips to Alton Towers Resort with his grandma. He recalls, “My grandma used to bring me to Alton Towers Resort every weekend that we spent with her. She used to drag me on the Haunted House ride, which I was absolutely terrified of. I spent most of my time on it with my eyes closed, so it’s quite peculiar that I’m now creating those attractions for others.” Now, he leads a team of 10, bringing those same chills he once feared to life, designing and building the resort’s scare mazes - which have become a defining element of the annual Scarefest experience. This year, visitors can confront the most terrifying scare maze yet - named Edge Of The Forest. Those who dare to enter will come face to face with the terrifying Leshwall, a lurking presence that twists the trees and plays tricks on the mind. According to James, the secret to a good scare maze is part film, part theatre. He explains: “You need a strong story, just like a movie. Guests want more than jump scares - they want to feel like they’ve stepped into another sphere, so for us, it’s about timing and variety - mixing atmospheric tension with those heart-stopping jump scares.” Becoming a scare maze master forced James to overcome one of his biggest childhood fears. He explains: “I was a really scared kid. I hated haunted houses so much that I’d go round with my eyes shut. Still, somewhere along the way, I started pushing myself with scarier and scarier films, and I realised the adrenaline was addictive. These days, I make a living creating the very experiences I once dreaded.” Edge Of The Forest is located deep within the eerie Dark Forest—an overgrown woodland shrouded in mystery and legend, where ancient forces have awakened, and nothing is ever quite as it seems. James says, “There’s something timeless about woodland legends. With Edge Of The Forest, we want visitors to feel that they are stepping into a dark fable.” James’ top five tips for getting the best out of a scare maze: 1. Don’t close your eyes: “It’s natural when you’re frightened to close your eyes, but try to resist the urge; otherwise, you will miss out on so much of the experience.” 2. Take your time: “Lots of people sprint through scare mazes because they’re so scared. The slower you go, the more fear builds up - making the jump scares even more intense.” 3. Explore different routes: “Each route through a scare maze will have its own unique scares, so you’ll only get the full experience with repeat visits.” 4. Stick together: “Part of the fun is sharing the fear with others. Hold your nerve and don’t get separated – though if a maze does split you up, embrace it. Everyone’s experience is different, and comparing stories afterwards is half the fun.” 5. Remember it’s not real: “Nothing can actually harm you in a scare maze. You might scream, you might laugh, you might swear you’ll never do it again - but ten minutes later you’ll be queuing for another go. That’s the power of adrenaline.” Scarefest 2025 kicks off on 27th-28th September and is available to book for the weekends of 3rd-5th October and 10th-12th October, as well as throughout the period from 17th October to 2nd November. Edge of the Forest Trailer: youtu.be/qTOULY_zZLY?si…

📢🏆 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 — 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 #𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! Congratulations 👏 to all those who have been shortlisted: amecorg.com/awards/shortli…

In a world full of noise, humour isn't optional. It's essential! @SmokingGunPR's new report proves how levity drives real impact. Download the report here: bit.ly/43Y8JKs #ad

Have you registered your Delegate Pass yet? bit.ly/4eDk0Dg #seo #searchengineoptimisation #searchmarketing #organicsearch #digitalmarketing #digitalstrategy #google #ai @Propellernet @digitaloftuk @cedarwoodMCR @impressiontalk @SmokingGunPR

#OnThisDay in 1858, suffragette legend Emmeline Pankhurst was born and ended up changing the world for good by giving voice to the voiceless ilovemanchester.com/emmeline-pankh…

The Department for @educationgovuk greenlights @SmokingGunPR and @TheJuiceAcademy’s Level 4 PR and Comms Apprenticeship loom.ly/KYtm3zs

Nice way to start the working day, talking fun stories from today’s papers with @anna_jameson_ on @BBCRadioManc covering Daisy May Cooper’s Botox, how facial expressions make you a better negotiator (& give pulling power) & rise of OAP darts thanks to @LukeTheNuke180

My day has been a day of 2 parts, part 1; receiving beautiful flowers from @SmokingGunPR team for my 6 year anniversary 🌺- thank you. Part 2; receiving a plate of undercooked mash potato and Richmond Sausages from my other half (he won’t be trusted to shop for tea again) 🤢

It's been a busy 24 hours appearing across BBC TV & radio offering opinion on the comms crisis engulfing CoOp Live. I can't ask my clients to step up to the plate & talk about their industry topics if I don't walk the talk myself #crisispr @SmokingGunPR

Love taking to students about PR careers, today’s posse are from @mmu_business, with brilliant panel of industry & media folk sharing experiences @PRCA_HQ @SmokingGunPR

Manchester's @SmokingGunPR begins UK journey with leading global sperm bank loom.ly/TxGHWt0

An amazing 14 organisations across the North West have been shortlisted for this year's Excellence Awards👏 @BAESystemsplc @Catapultpublicr @LancsPCC @WS_Manchester @SalfordUni @democracyagency @Carousel_PR @McCann_UK @VivaTweets @SmokingGunPR @LivHospitals @ICOnews @SodexoUK_IRE

Morning folks …. Report from the met office … we might get some rain 🤣🤣🤣🤣

The winner of B2B Campaign of the Year sponsored by @markettiers is… @SmokingGunPR for its Reapp (Dee Set Group) - Taking Reapp to Retail Fame campaign 🏆

The gold Culture Media, Sport & Travel Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year award, sponsored by @markettiers goes to… @SmokingGunPR for its The Game Begins: Launching The Curse At Alton Manor with Alton Towers Resort 🥇

Now for our Integrated Communications Campaign of the Year, sponsored by @markettiers. The winner is… @SmokingGunPR for its The Game Begins: Launching The Curse At Alton Manor campaign with Alton Towers Resort 🎢

The gold award winner for our Stunt of the Year is… @SmokingGunPR for The Curse Unleashed: Launching the world’s first giant dollhouse with Alton Towers Resort 🏅

Our gold winner for the Best Use Of Creativity - Consumer, sponsored by @PRCA_HQ is… @SmokingGunPR for its The Game Begins: Launching The Curse At Alton Manor campaign with Alton Towers 🥇