Founded by Kyiv Association of Nature Enthusiasts in 1909, Kyiv Zoo has the history of over 100 years. It worked its way up from a public wild nature paradise to one of Europe’s largest urban zoological parks. Kyiv Zoo has undergone drastic changes since then, and keeps changing in our present days, but very few know about that. In 2015, the zoo looked as it did fifty years ago, and it persisted quite a limited communication with its prospective visitors. Kievans had were firmly convicted that the zoo was just poor both in treating animals and its visitors. We were to dispel that myth.
On a voluntary basis, we developed for the zoo a new visual identity system, proposed a comprehensive design solution for internal informational and prohibitory signs, and came up with a few interactive solutions, including a mobile application concept and brand presenting mode in social networks.
We garnered support from local authorities that permitted to place boards and city lights with the new identity, free-of-charge. The zoo used cartoon characters to invite Kievans and city guests for 2015 spring season opening. As soon as days got warmer, city streets were decorated with cartoon animals drawn by a Kharkiv artist Marichka Ruban. No ad slogans were used — only verses! Actually, this was the first Kyiv Zoo communication ever, and the public was deeply impressed. Since the end of April, people who wanted to see animals has crowded at the Zoo entrance, and the number of visitors might excite envy even in animal right advocates’ manifestations.
Our main task was to change the attitude of people to the Zoo. And we succesfully did it with help of FEDORIV.
Lots of things escalate in autumn. Including self-awareness and the sense of one’s rights. September 2015. Kyiv is getting ready to the local elections; the outdoor election campaign is in full swing. No one could stand to deter words as well as sounds. Zebra, Tiger and Toucan made no exception. In the autumn communication, we finally gave them the opportunity to "speak" freely and say whatever they wanted to say.
Most loyal customers of the Kyiv Zoo seem to have never rated themselves as just ‘customers’. Actually, when you are 6–12 years old, you come to your friends, not to the Zoo. And it is good when your friends come to you. Having this target point in mind, we have developed a comics poster about an opossum, a toucan and a beaver.
As the New Year comes closer, people start mentioning the animal the on-coming year is related to and search for it on the Internet. 2016 is the Year of Red Fire Monkey. So at the end of 2015, we decided to make a zoo-media support for this animal sign. Our intention has materialized into the 2016 calendar, with its cover featuring a monkey and at least twelve other animals who had no objection to the mix.
Creating a new calendar for the Zoo already became one of our New Year’s traditions. First, we draw our calendar and only then we get to decorate the Christmas tree and pack the gifts. The rooster and a flock of his feathered friends become heroes of the year 2017 and our illustrations. We made the calendar in Ukrainian and English editions.
How to show your love for animals? When you want to shout about it to everyone, but you can’t. Because you’re not in the jungle.
We created a set of six pins especially for the fans of Kyiv Zoo residents. They can be given as a gift, worn separately or even all together.
Relations between animals are simple: you are either a prey or a friend. But not in the zoo: everyone is a friend there. So we have dedicated the 2018 calendar to the tailed and the feathered relations. We took the classic accounting calendar because it’s convenient for adults, and added illustrations to it plus ears to its cursor. Here’s what we got.
