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This is work done for the Detroit Zoo. This is a decal that was placed on windows of store displays and other public locations in Detroit.

So maybe it's a little hokey, a little kitschy, but this campaign did major work for sales and membership rates at the Detroit Zoo. The actual execution isn't brilliant-I think it should be described as "Detroit Cute," but the initial concept is smart and strategic. This campaign is based upon the idea that the Detroit Zoo is an essential part of one's childhood and growing up in Detroit, just like going to school and eating a well-balanced diet; essentially, the zoo is good for kids and helps their development. The only problem was that attendance to the zoo was rapidly on the decline due to the downfall of the economy. Detroit, in particular, was hit pretty hard once the economy was starting to tank, so trying to increase sales and profits from a service that is based in the entertainment sector in a very difficult task considering the economic landscape. When people are losing jobs left and right and having to cut back on basic essentials like gas and groceries, the last place they are going to spend money is the zoo. Even so, this campaign, which had components of print, TV, outdoor, interactive, and out of home, actually resulted in breaking previous records of attendance for the zoo and selling out their annual memberships. The campaign was called "Vitamin Z," and used a pseudo-nutrition label to illustrate (maybe a little too literally) the nutritional benefits of taking your kids to the zoo. This is the kind of work that is considered to be okay, or just good, in the advertising world, but the public responded really well to it. So does that make the campaign better? I think the creative execution was a little tired and imitative...making their own version of a nutrition label, it's cute. It accomplished the client's marketing goals though, which is usually the bottom line. Sometimes the strategy of a campaign can compensate for dull creative.