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Polar bears are the world’s largest land-based carnivores. They are also very cute. Both are good reasons to make them the centre of the Toronto Zoo‘s summer ad campaign.
The white and cuddly meat-eaters have long been popular attractions at the zoo, but their 10-acre enclosure called Tundra Trek had been under renovation until last November. With renovations now complete, agency of record Lowe Roche was tasked with showing potential visitors that the bears were ready to be seen again. Or not, as the case may be.
Ad creative focuses on the bears’ ability to hide in their snowy native environment. Animated television/online and print executions show a white field with only the bears’ black eyes and noses visible.
Their dialogue plays off their hidden bodies. “Does this fur make me look fat?” one asks.
The spot closes with the super: “The Polar Bears. Be sure to see them.”
“It’s about getting Toronto families excited,” said Stephanie Nerlich, agency president. “It could certainly go wider than the city, but we focus on Toronto families and school groups and the stay-cation aspects of summer.”
Lowe Roche recently hired Steph Mackie and Mark Biernacki as creative directors, but the Zoo campaign was in the works before they joined and is largely the product of Sean Ohlenkamp and Rob Sturch.
The agency tapped Aardman Animations in the U.K. to animate the video ads.
Interactive online elements leveraging the polar bears are set to roll out over the coming weeks.
Zenith Optimedia handled the media buy, which includes television, radio and family-focused websites and print publications.
