PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

To the everyday visitor, the Detroit Zoo is all a zoo should be – a place to see exotic animals in naturalistic habitats, connect with nature, ride the Tauber Family Railroad and enjoy a picnic.  But then there’s all a zoo could be – a place that not only conserves but generates power, a place that not only inspires its community but the world entire, a place that cares not just for the animals within its care but for all those around the globe.

A new marketing campaign called “The Zoo That Could” brings to the fore the myriad things the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) does beyond its 125 acres to advance wildlife conservation, animal welfare, sustainability and education, as well as the impact it has on the community.

“Most people expect they are going to visit a wonderful zoo – a beautiful, natural space that provides a great experience for people and for animals.  What they ultimately discover is that the Detroit Zoo is and does so much more,” said DZS Executive Director and CEO Ron Kagan.  “This campaign changes the conversation and explains what we do and why we do it.  We hope it will educate and inspire the community to think of their Zoo in a whole new way.”

The campaign – which launched on June 12 ­– blends poetry, art and animation to provide an expanded view of the DZS’s impact on wildlife, wild places and the community.  Communicated through the eyes and voice of a child, the campaign includes four 60-second television commercials as well as print, digital and social media elements.  The campaign is the work of the Detroit Zoo’s longtime pro bono advertising agency Doner, with animation by New York-based creative agency Psyop.

“Our Zoo makes a tremendous impact in so many ways, both in the community and around the world,” said David DeMuth, co-CEO and president of Doner.  “Of all the good zoos, and there are many, ‘The Zoo That Could’ describes only one place – the Detroit Zoo.”

In one of the ads, the campaign describes the Detroit Zoo as the Zoo that could turn abandoned eggs into abundant flocks – a reference to its award-winning efforts to save the federally endangered Great Lakes piping plover.  From working to reverse the global amphibian crisis to rescuing and rehabilitating imperiled gorilla populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the DZS contributes to wildlife conservation efforts worldwide.  In some cases, it has led the revival of species on the brink of extinction, notably the Partula nodosa, a Tahitian land snail.

Other ads tout the Detroit Zoo as the Zoo that could stop a polar bear from melting, and the Zoo that could lend a helping home to the all alone and helpless.  The Zoo is known for providing sanctuary to animals in need of rescue – including a polar bear from a tropical circus, lions from a junkyard and an urban drug house, and thousands of animals in the largest rescue in U.S. history.  It was the first zoo to decide solely on ethical grounds to no longer keep elephants, inspiring many other zoos to follow suit.  As the home of the Center for Zoo Animal Welfare, it is an internationally recognized resource for captive animal welfare knowledge and best practices, providing training for animal care staff from around the world.

The campaign promotes the Detroit Zoo as the Zoo that could use waste to conserve power.  It will soon debut the first dry biodigester in Michigan – and the first zoo-based system of its kind in the country – which will convert more than 400 tons of animal manure into compost and capture the methane byproduct to help power the animal hospital.  The Zoo last year discontinued the sale of bottled water – helping to keep more than 60,000 single-use bottles out of landfills annually – and began powering its operations with 100 percent renewable electricity from wind farms.  In acknowledgement of its continuous efforts in sustainability, the Detroit Zoo received the 2015 Green Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

The DZS’s multitude of education programs is called out in the campaign, which describes the Detroit Zoo as the Zoo that could nourish all creatures, including the humans.  It is home to the Berman Academy for Humane Education, which offers a broad range of on-site programs with the core goal of teaching people to treat other living creatures with respect, responsibility and compassion.  The DZS regularly collaborates with local school districts to provide educational experiences for students “who arrive on buses and depart on wings”, and has partnered for nearly two decades with an organization in the Amazon rainforest to bring education to underserved school children in this vital ecological region.

To see TV ads for “The Zoo That Could” and learn more about the DZS’s efforts in conservation, animal welfare, sustainability and education, as well as its community impact, visit thezoothatcould.org.