Auckland Zoo

There is a growing perception globally that Zoos are bad. This in part is true as there are many Zoos globally that should be closed due to the way they operate. The challenge was to communicate to the public that Auckland Zoo was a good Zoo with professionals who deeply care for the wildlife and initiate wider conservations efforts locally and globally.

The design solution was built from a strategic brand proposition we developed ‘wildlife conservation at work’. This brand promise was directed at the core perceptional challenge - how to amplify the conservation based work going on within the Zoo in a way that visitors can identify, connect to and engage with.

The rebrand has created a platform for Auckland Zoo to reframe how it contributes to wildlife conservation. A platform that has launched new wildlife conservation initiatives, visitor attractions, a new naming system across the Zoo as well as an internal cultural program. The project has shown how a Zoo can openly communicate its value proposition in a way that is easy for the public to understand, believe and relate to. The project has helped drive greater advocacy and support from the public that has been realised through visitation growth and donations towards their projects.

The branding system incorporates Te Reo (Maori language) across all customer touchpoints to express the Council owned organisations commitments to the Treaty of Waitangi, so all written communications are bi-lingual.