Ad of the Day: zoo subverts newspaper 'births, deaths & notices' to highlight plight of the rhino
Dublin Zoo and agency Rothco have quietly spoofed the traditional ‘birth, deaths and notices’ section of a newspaper as a stark reminder of the wild rhino’s plummeting population.
Appearing in The Irish Sun, the press campaign was inspired by the birth of a rhino – named Chaka – at the Irish zoo. The new calf features in print as the only inclusion on the ‘births’ section, which was poignantly sent against a page detailing the plethora of recent rhino deaths that occurred as a result of illegal poaching.
Rothco said it designed the campaign to not only as a showcase for Dublin Zoo’s conservation and protection efforts, but as a ‘powerful force’ of awareness raising.
“It’s great to know that even the oldest advertising medium print can still surprise and delight readers,” said Alan Kelly, executive creative director at Rothco. “Our ‘Births, Deaths & Notices’ execution seemed the perfect way to celebrate the rhino calf’s birth without ignoring the wider tragic context of what's happening to the rhino population worldwide."
