ZooTunes

Advertising and design for a summer concert series at the zoo

10 Weeks | Student Project

Objective

ZooTunes is an annual summer concert series at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. To promote the event and enhance the experience for concert-goers, they needed a cohesive series of graphics to use across different mediums.

Details

I designed and illustrated advertising, environmental graphics and merchandise that highlights the unique experience of listening to music amongst the zoo animals on a summer night.

Role

Illustration
Layout
Motion

Tools

Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
After Effects
Fresco (iPad)

Design

Advertising

I created a suite of media to reach audiences in Seattle, including an 18" x 24" gig poster, a full-page ad for local magazines, a billboard, outdoor wall display, and an animation for social media. The tagline "It's going to be one wild summer" is a play on the theme of the illustration to build anticipation for the concert series and is used throughout the advertising material.

This video contains sound

Experience

I expanded the design system into touchpoints that would make the concert experience feel truly unique, including merchandise, tickets, a VIP pass, and stage graphics.

Research

Context

The ZooTunes outdoor summer concert series is a well-known fundraising event for the Woodland Park Zoo. This is the 37^th year of the event. It is an all-ages event that draws in names like Indigo Girls, CAKE, Ziggy Marley, and more. The series usually starts in June and runs through the end of August. The concerts are performed on a stage set up on the main lawn of the zoo and guests are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and can purchase snacks and drinks to enjoy a summer night listening to music.

Process

1. Brainstorming

To design a poster that would appeal the ZooTunes's audience, I began with an analysis of their current marketing. I also researched, read, and listened to as much as I could about the concert venue and created a mind map based on the 5 senses—what would it be like to listen to live music under the stars on a Seattle summer night at the zoo?

Research and brainstorming

2. Sketching

With this in mind, I sketched 35 thumbnails to explore different ideas and concepts. I chose the concept "serious musicians" because it told a good story about what might happen at the zoo when humans aren't around.

Thumbnail sketches

3. Mood board

To push the concept further, I looked to rock n' roll magazine covers of musicians for inspiration. I wanted the animals to convey the same attitude with bold colors and sans-serif hand lettered typography to grab attention for this family-friendly event.

Subject and style mood board

4. Refinement

I developed the sketch into the final poster version seen here, with several iterations to adjust the final typography, colors, and composition. Later, I expanded the design and illustration into additional marketing, print, and environmental graphics.

From concept to final