Henry Vilas Zoo

Work type: Digital / Print / Website

A Madison treasure, Henry Vilas Zoo is one of only a handful of free zoos in the nation. As a community-supported zoo, we aimed to be efficient and impactful with a limited budget. Leaning on our core values, like being Exceptionally Agile, Openly Collaborative, and Amazingly Resourceful, we maximized marketing efforts without losing momentum or compromising quality. Below are some examples of large- and small-scale campaigns and projects which delivered on our promise to always produce high quality work, sometimes under tight timelines or with limited budget.

Fundraising Branding and Events On-Site Messaging Website

Fundraising

Fundraising Campaigns

The Henry Vilas Zoo is a cherished part of the Madison area and plays a vital role in the surrounding communities. It offers visitors the opportunity to experience its beauty and wonder through free and enjoyable attractions. To keep the zoo accessible to everyone, fundraising is essential to sustain one of the region's most beloved institutions. Through these efforts, we encouraged a pipeline of new and regular donations to the zoo.

Roar for More

Outdoor

Digital Display

Zoo Light Up My Life

Digital Display

Play Animated Ads

Giving Tuesday Outdoor

Fun & Free + Light Way to End the Year

Outdoor

Newspaper

Digital Display

Play Animated Ads

A Part of You

Digital Display

Play Animated Ads

Put a Bo On It!

Digital Display

Play Animated Ads

People's Choice Awards

Reopening the Zoo

The Henry Vilas Zoo, one of the only admission-free zoos in the country, re-opened to the public on June 18, 2020. We designed and launched a marketing campaign to encourage attendance, donations and to educate the community about safety measures being implemented during the pandemic. The strategic campaign – “We Missed You At the Zoo” shows the animals at Henry Vilas Zoo welcoming back their human friends, and includes a request to help support the Zoo through donations due to lost revenue from concessions and lack of visitors and events during the closure. The heart-felt message was delivered through direct mail, outdoor, radio, print and digital advertising, as well as updates to their website.

Direct Mail

Outdoor

Digital Display

Play Animated Ads

Branding and Events

AFFIRM developed the overall Henry Vilas Zoo tagline and branding to help communicate their goals to educate the public and conserve wildlife. We also developed a number of sub-brands for the unique and engaging fundraising events developed by the zoo, as well as exhibit openings, educational programs and more. The following examples represent general zoo branding efforts along with these special event branding and materials.

Tagline Development + Logo Lockup

Brand Usage Guide

Foundation Logo Design

Edge of Africa Branding

Part of the Strategic Plan for Henry Vilas Zoo included the development of the “Edge of Africa” which is an area of the zoo that will feature animals from the continent of Africa. The area will begin with the development of a new giraffe barn. To support fundraising initiatives for the capital campaign, the Zoo asked AFFIRM to develop a brand and messaging for the Edge of Africa.

Brew Lights Event Branding

Feast with the Beasts Event Branding

Brewfari Event Branding

Henry Vilas Zoo Brewfari Event and Branding

Spooktacular Event Branding

On-Site Messaging

The zoo's on-site messaging and wayfinding signage were outdated and in need of an upgrade. We were excited to step in and enhance their navigation and internal visuals. Our work refreshed the signage with a modern, bold, and brand-forward approach. Additionally, the zoo was facing a tight deadline to regain its prestigious AZA Accreditation, with wayfinding signage playing a crucial role in the process. We delivered the new signage and managed installations within the tight timeline, helping them successfully meet their goals.

On-site Maps

Wayfinding Signs

Donor Keyhole Stations

Aviary Entrance Wrap

Zoo Entrance Signs

Artic Fox Signage

Trifold Brochure - General

Trifold Brochure - Educational

Henry Vilas Zoo Educational Trifold Brochure

Train and Carousel Punch Card

Website

With an outdated website and no budget for a complete redesign, the zoo commissioned AFFIRM to perform some much-needed updates. We installed and configured a new page editor on select pages, which allows the client to update the content through an easy-to-use front-end WYSIWYG system. We redesigned key landing pages and user interface elements for better end user interaction. This allows the future design of the website to be more on-brand and scalable as the website grows and changes. We also provided training sessions with key staff members through video calls with screen sharing session. The client is now able to reproduce and extend these new templates to other pages to make editing easier.