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ZOO LAUNCHES NEW TV AD CAMPAIGN
BY: Rod HackneyFeb. 01, 2008
ASHEBORO—An African Masai warrior strolling across the icy cliffs of an Arctic landscape might seem to be a sensory disconnect. But it’s the perfect image to drive home a new promotional campaign by the North Carolina Zoo—"Walk from Africa to the Arctic in an afternoon."
Playing off the fact that the zoo has two continental exhibit regions, Africa and North America, a series of new public service television commercials uses the striking image of a tall African dressed in traditional Masai red robes striding across the tundra to deliver the message that zoo visitors can see two diverse continents in a single day’s visit.
The 20- and 30-second commercials were developed by the zoo’s Charlotte advertising agency, Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy, and will be distributed to television stations across the region in the coming weeks.
"We thought this was a particularly appropriate way to launch the zoo’s new promotional campaign as we invite the public to the grand opening of our new 'Watani Grasslands Reserve' exhibit in April," said Chris Bulla, the zoo’s marketing officer. "The new ads are very compelling and mark quite a different approach in our television marketing."
The Watani Grasslands Reserve is an $8.5 million expansion and renovation of the zoo’s elephant and rhinoceros exhibits and holding facilities. Grand opening ceremonies for the public are slated for April 5-6, 2008.
The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary; Michael F. Easley, Governor.