193,000 visit ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo – setting all-time attendance record.

For more than 24 years, the Oregon Zoo has been transforming their grounds into a luminous winter wonderland for their premier holiday event – ZooLights.  More than just a pretty scene, ZooLights represents a holiday tradition for many Oregonians and a boost to the Zoo’s attendance during the winter months.  So this year the Oregon Zoo approached Coates Kokes to develop a marketing campaign to capture the magic of ZooLights and ultimately increase attendance over previous years.

We developed a fresh logo, print ad and TV spot that did just that.  We incorporated the Zoo’s iconic steam train and resident elephant, Packy, into the logo, which complemented the line “Illuminate Your Holidays.”  The television commercial focused on the transformation of the Zoo and the magic of 1.3 million lights that make up the ZooLights experience.

The rollout of the campaign, combined with a stretch of good weather, resulted in a record-setting year for ZooLights, drawing 193,000 visitors to the event – a 36% increase over the previous year.  And at an average of almost $10 a ticket, the additional 50,000 visitors certainly helped the bottom line.