Case study — Advertising Campaign
Toronto Zoo
Campaign concept · OOH design · Direct mail · Experiential design · Brand system
· 3D mockup / rendering · Multi-channel thinking · Audience segmentation
Roles: Brand Design Lead · Graphic Designer
THE BRIEF
#RelationshipGoals
A multi-channel campaign built around a cultural moment — turning selfie culture into a reason to visit the zoo.
BRAND TAGINE
Same Planet. Different World.
CAMPAIGN BUILT ON THIS PROMISE
CLIENT: Toronto Zoo
SCOPE: OOH · Direct Mail · Experiential
AUDIENCE: Families · Women/Mothers · Age 25-35
DISCIPLINE: Brand · Campaign Design
THE CHALLENGE
Toronto Zoo needed to rekindle interest among families and expand its audience beyond its existing base. Rather than push traditional zoo messaging, the brief called for something that would meet people where they already were — in their daily habits and social routines.
" Two out of three adults visit a zoo with a child. The opportunity was to make the zoo feel like a social destination, not just an educational outing."
THE INSIGHT
Selfie culture had become a universal social language across the target demographic. The campaign anchored on a simple behavioural truth: people document the moments that feel remarkable. If you could make an encounter with a zoo animal feel like the ultimate social flex, you'd earn both the visit and the post.
THE STRATEGY
Campaign Strategy
The campaign rolled out across three integrated stages, each building on the last — from broad awareness to direct engagement to conversion.
STAGE 01
Awareness — OOH
Bus shelter ads placed the selfie-with-animal concept in the wild, using candid photography to stop commuters mid-scroll.
STAGE 02
Engagement — Direct mail
A mailer with an animal cutout invited recipients to take a selfie, upload it, and receive a unique selfie code for a ticket discount.
STAGE 03
Conversion — Experiential
Life-size selfie booths at high-traffic locations drove group bookings through a social-share and email registration mechanic.
The closing loop
The selfie code from Stage 02 also unlocked a physical #RelationshipGoals wristband and gate discount — closing the loop between a digital action and a physical visit. Every touchpoint fed the next, making the campaign feel less like advertising and more like a game worth playing.
THE OUTCOME
Deliverables
OOH — Bus Shelter Ads
Two executions featuring candid human-animal selfie photography with bold hashtag typography.
Direct Mail Package
Front/back mailer with animal cutout, interactive selfie mechanic, and wristband strip perforated for tear-out.
#RelationshipGoals Wrist Band
Branded collectible that doubled as a discount vehicle — a wearable bridge between the digital mechanic and the zoo gate.
Experiential Selfie Booths
Life-size standees at malls and transit hubs with a full social-share, registration, and group discount mechanic.
SELFIE BOOTH
How it worked
The booths were designed not just as photo props but as a full acquisition and conversion funnel — turning a moment of delight into a group booking.
Engagement mechanic
From photo to ticket — the full user journey
Snap at the booth
Visitors photograph themselves alongside the life-size animal standee — kangaroo or panda — placed in malls and transit hubs across the city.
Share on social and tag the zoo
The photo is posted publicly with #RelationshipGoals and a tag to Toronto Zoo's account, generating organic reach and keeping the campaign visible in feeds.
Register with email
Visitors complete a quick email registration to unlock their discount — building the zoo's CRM list while gating the reward behind a meaningful action.
Receive group discount
A discount code is emailed, valid for groups of 4 or more — directly incentivising family and group visits rather than solo walk-ins.
GROUP DISCOUNT
10–50%
Off entry tickets for groups of 4 or more. Tiered to reward larger groups and drive higher-value bookings.
WEEKLY WINNER
2 Free Tickets
Best selfie of the week wins two complimentary entry passes — keeping the social feed active and entries flowing all season.
THE SYSTEM
Design Approach
The visual system leaned into warmth and immediacy — the aesthetic of an actual candid photo rather than polished zoo marketing. Photography was raw and joyful, paired with the Toronto Zoo's green brand palette and a hashtag-first headline that felt native to social media rather than imported from a billboard world.
The campaign identity — a partial-circle motif derived from the Toronto Zoo logo — threaded consistently across every touchpoint, from the 8-foot selfie booths to the wristband to the mailer, creating a coherent system across wildly different formats and contexts.
#RelationshipGoals
WHAT THIS DEMONSTRATES
Cultural Behaviour
This campaign shows how a cultural behaviour — something people already do every day — can be redirected into a brand experience. The design challenge wasn't just visual; it was architectural: building a system where every piece earned its place by feeding the next.
Systems Thinking
Three channels designed to work as one — each stage amplifying the reach and intent of the last.
Audience-led strategy
The mechanic was built around a real behaviour in the target demographic, not imposed on top of it.
Earned media by design
Social sharing wasn't a hope — it was a structural requirement of the mechanic, built into every stage.
The campaign reframes what zoo advertising can be — less "come see the animals," more "be the person who has a story to tell." That shift, from spectator to participant, is what makes it worth remembering — and worth sharing.
LET'S MAKE SOMETHING GREAT
hello@imadesigner.ca