The Minnesota Zoo is orchestrating some big plans to promote their new major exhibit, 3M Penguins of the African Coast.
The new indoor exhibit, which opened July 9, at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN, features exciting underwater viewing, along with sandy beaches and rocky shoreline, creating a vignette of the penguins’ natural habitat on South Africa’s famed Boulders Beach.
To introduce the Penguins and the new exhibit, new advertising agency, Clarity Coverdale Fury, created an over-the-top new song-and-dance called “The Waddle.”
“Penguins waddle when they walk and that’s when they’re the cutest. So we decided that everything should be about the Waddle,” added Jerry Fury, the writer on the campaign. “And there’s nothing like an infectious song to get your Waddle on,” said Jac Coverdale, Creative Director at CCF.
Local music producers, Hest & Kramer created the sound, a local dance studio choreographed The Waddle and now it’s going global, well at least in the Twin Cities.
The campaign includes 30 and 15 sec TV spots featuring the professional Waddle dancers and an enthusiastic group of young kids all “Waddling” vigorously at various locations at the Zoo.
Both 30 sec and 60 sec radio are in the Waddle media mix, as well as out-of-home and online advertising. The Waddle promotion will also have a big presence on Facebook and Twitter. Plans also include a music video. Waddle dancers plan to perform at various parades and state and city events.
The Minnesota Zoo’s Director of Marketing, Bill Von Bank said, “The new campaign is everything the Zoo represents—a place where the entire family can have fun and learn more about animals at the same time. Plus, they can Waddle. The Do The Waddle campaign is an excellent example of taking a single, simple idea and integrating it into every consumer touchpoint throughout the campaign.”
The campaign can be viewed at: http://claritycoverdalefury.com/agency/2011/07/we-just-started-the-summers-new-dance-craze/
About Clarity Coverdale Fury
Clarity Coverdale Fury specializes in helping brands make an emotional connection with customers through digital marketing, brand development, advertising, promotions and public relations. They consistently produce results often doubling or tripling a brand’s historical performance. Their tools include brilliant strategic thinking and world-class creativity. Clarity Coverdale Fury is perhaps best known for creating the global launch of Belvedere Vodka which shot from $0 – $1 billion in sales in just nine years. Current brands in the agency’s portfolio include: ClearWay Minnesota, Medtronic, International Dairy Queen, Purina Mills and Red Gold Tomatoes among others. Information on Clarity Coverdale Fury can be located on www.claritycoverdalefury.com.
About the Minnesota Zoo
Founded in 1978, the Minnesota Zoo exists to connect people, animals and the natural world. It is home to more than 4,240 animals representing 542 species, many of which are considered rare, threatened or endangered. Cutting-edge exhibits provide exciting experiences with animals and their habitats introducing guests to species from around the globe. Education programs engage audiences at the Zoo, throughout the region, and around world. Conservation programs protect endangered species and preserve critical ecosystems.
Credits:
Creative/Art Director: Jac Coverdale
Creative Director/Copywriter: Jerry Fury
Group Brand Director: Rob Rankin
Digital Content Producer: Steve Barone
Print Producer: Caroline Ryan Gibbs
Director/Photographer: Jonathon Chapman
Music: Hest & Kramer
Edit: Schnitt Edit/Charley Swartz
