Detroit Zoo debuts new water tower art, redesigned logos and websites
The Detroit Zoo’s iconic water tower is receiving a major makeover — and that’s not all. On Tuesday, the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) announced an organization-wide visual rebrand, including new websites and logos for the society, the zoo, and the Belle Isle Nature Center.
The rebrand is the result of more than two years of project work now coming to fruition, said DZS's director of marketing Kimberly Waatti.
“We knew that we wanted to have a new visual identity that was vibrant and modern and timeless,” she said, “and that truly supported the future of our organization and the direction that we’re headed. The Detroit Zoo logo has two O's that invite you into a world of storytelling, and the Belle Isle Nature Center logo pairs together two leaf-inspired shapes that are really symbolic to its mission, which is creating connection between people and urban wildlife. In 2022, it went under a $2.5 million renovation, so there’s lots to see there as well.”
Such values are also reflected in the organization's tagline, “Where life connects.”
Southfield ad agency Doner is behind the new design on the zoo's water tower that rises high above the campus near Interstate 696 and Woodward Avenue. A 515-gallon paint job and a 30-foot-high vinyl wrap will depict the new zoo logo with some animal denizens peeking out from the O's. Zoo officials say it should take about two weeks to complete.
“We know the water tower is an iconic landmark in our community, and many people have a special connection to it,” said Dr. Hayley Murphy, executive director and CEO of the DZS. “We’ve heard so many stories of the joy people get, adults and children alike, when they see the water tower, whether they’re out and about in the community or heading to the zoo for a visit. This new design will continue to spark that joy for years to come.”
As for what will become of the artwork that formerly occupied the water tower, it has been repurposed uniquely.
“It was very important to us that we included the community throughout this entire process,” Waatti said, “and we had them (involved in) market research studies, and we found that there is a very strong (sense of) nostalgia toward the former design and our former brand identity. We came across an opportunity to partner with a Detroit-based, woman-owned business, Rebel Nell, which is making an exclusive line of accessories and jewelry, which uses remnants from the former wrap artwork.
“It’s not only a wonderful way for the community to take a piece of history home with them, but it is in alignment with our sustainability principles. It was just a wonderful collaboration and we couldn’t be more thrilled how it came out.”
The new logo will also be featured as a bigger-than-life, 18-foot-wide photo opportunity sculpture, which allows guests to climb inside the O's at standard bench height.
“This is an accessible photo op,” Waatti said, “and we really can’t wait to see all the memories that will be made in this, which is located right outside the front gates.”
Not only are there new website designs, but the Detroit Zoo is also launching its own mobile app, through which visitors can plan their visits and enhance their experiences.
“Conservation is truly at the heart of everything that we do,” Waatti said of the new developments, “and this will allow for this portal of visual storytelling to share with the world all the work we do both here at home and afar. Whether it’s celebrating our vibrant history with the wildlife interpretive gallery, which is an iconic building here on Zoo grounds, or quite literally creating that meaningful connection between animals and nature.”
Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Zoo debuts new water tower art, redesigned logos and websites
