Lincoln Park Zoo
Chicago zoo
Role
Design lead
Delivered
Brand identity
Brand expression
Brand architecture
Corporate identity
Activation
Illustration
Brand guidelines
We partnered with Lincoln Park Zoo, a beloved Chicago institution and the second oldest zoo in the U.S., to reimagine their brand identity, reflecting their visionary nature and commitment to wildlife preservation.
Our team worked to modernize the zoo’s brand while respecting its rich legacy. We needed to update its brand to better reflect its modern approach to animal care, education, science, and conservation. We worked closely with their marketing team to develop a brand strategy that resonates with a diverse audience. And created a tagline that encapsulates the zoo’s inclusive mission.
We began with extensive research, collaborating with their
in-house marketing team, to understand their core values,
target audience, and long-term vision.
We conducted audience segmentation to identify key demographics and their motivations for visiting the zoo. Using these insights, we developed a brand strategy that emphasized the zoo's commitment to education, conservation, and the inclusivity of people. The tagline 'For Wildlife. For All.' was chosen to highlight the zoo's dedication to the inclusion of all parties - people, wildlife, and organizations alike.
The logomark is called the ‘concord’ which visually represents this inclusive vision. It is an abstract symbol made up of interwoven lines that merge together. The linework captures an energetic momentum as well as feeling connection and togetherness.
We created a comprehensive design system that included: photography capturing the natural world, a new condensed typeface, custom illustration of iconography and patterns, and an expansive color palette.
We developed a brand architecture system, organizing the entirety of the zoo’s buildings, events, departments, and initiatives into a system of logo lock-ups and guidelines. The goal was to give their internal team a flexible system to work for all of their communications and events. And have the new brand identity to show up correctly and consistently.
Our team built a brand expression system centered around the concord. Designing a wide range of materials including: corporate identity, signage and wayfinding, membership kit, magazine layout, brand ads, uniforms, emails and website. After we completed both the brand identity and the expression system, we codified the new brand into guidelines for their in-house team and vendors to utilize.
For the brand activation event at the Kovler Lion House, we designed the 'Wild Horizons' digital experience, using projection mapping to show custom illustrated scenes onto white walls that were covering the animal enclosures. This experience depicted wildlife coexisting with urbanization, showing Chicago and the Serengeti National Park on two screens. It included a mobile donation component, triggering a takeover animation on the screens when someone donated. We also created a photo booth and a kids' drawing area to enhance engagement.
Credits:
Agency: The Abundancy (Now Leo Burnett), August 2016
Executive Creative Director: Tom Quish (design), Suzanne Michaels (writer)
Senior Art Director: Amber Dunk
Illustration: Daniel Ware
Writer: Paul Byrne
Strategy: Shane Swinnea