A destination for conservation – Bristol charity highlights global work with major campaign

A Bristol-based conservation and education charity is launching its first ever UK brand campaign to increase awareness of its global efforts to protect threatened species.

Bristol Zoological Society, which owns and runs Bristol Zoo Project in South Gloucestershire, is going live with its ‘Destination Conservation’ campaign this week.

It’s been made possible thanks to a £360,000 grant from Ocean Outdoor’s annual environmental fund, Drops in the Ocean, which grants advertising space to charities across the UK.

Destination Conservation has two aims – to showcase the Society’s global conservation efforts and to promote the zoo as a major tourist destination, where every visitor is making a difference to species in crisis.

For the billboard ads, the distinctive coats of threatened species such as giraffe and zebra, have been used as ‘road maps’ directing people to the zoo, near J17 of the M5. They’ll be shown at key locations across the UK, including Heathrow Airport, until the end of August.

Brian Zimmerman, Director of Conservation and Science at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “This is a really exciting moment for us as we launch our first ever conservation-focused campaign. Many people have heard of Bristol Zoo the visitor attraction, but don’t realise that we are so much more than that. As a conservation and education charity working in nine countries across four continents, we are working to conserve and protect the world’s most threatened species.

“Currently, 85% of animals at Bristol Zoo Project are both threatened and part of targeted conservation programmes. Our aim is for this to rise to 90% by 2035. We are on a journey to create a new, progressive conservation zoo with animals living in larger, natural habitats. It will be perfectly placed to engage and inspire the conservationists of the future – ensuring future generations come face-to-face with animals in nature.

“We hope with the launch of Destination Conservation, we can reach new and wider audiences, and even more people will join our mission to Save Wildlife Together.”

The creative concept and designs for the campaign were devised by Bristol based integrated communications agency and B-Corp, saintnicks.

Matthew Philpott, Head of Marketing at Bristol Zoological Society, said: “Saintnicks took significant time to discover more about Bristol Zoo Project and our conservation work, and showed genuine interest in our impact and how we might engage more people with this.

“We believe Destination Conservation perfectly meets our needs as a charity – communicating that our dedicated teams carry out vital conservation work in the UK and around the world, and by visiting Bristol Zoo Project people can experience the incredible species in our care, which need support. Simply by visiting, they are enabling us to continue and further our work.

“We are truly grateful for the support of both saintnicks and Ocean Outdoor, and excited to have the opportunity to share the stories of the species which need all of our help.”

Fraser Bradshaw, CEO at saintnicks said: “We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Bristol Zoological Society - a charity rooted in our local community whose commitment to conservation has an incredible impact globally. The work their team is doing to protect wildlife and ecosystems, both in our local community and around the world, is truly inspiring, and we’re proud to play a part in helping amplify their mission.”

The zoo is currently undergoing a major transformation. Work is underway on an African Forest habitat, where the zoo’s troop of Critically Endangered western lowland gorillas will be joined by Endangered cherry-crowned mangabey monkeys, for the first time in a UK zoo. It will also become home to Critically Endangered slender-snouted crocodiles and several extremely threatened species of West African freshwater fish. Endangered African grey parrots, which have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, will also be living in the habitat.

To find out more about Bristol Zoo Project and Bristol Zoological Society’s conservation programmes across the globe, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk.