ZooTampa

Creatures of the Night


Campaign, Illustration

2025
Character Design



Our custom icon introduced visitors to the creatures and attractions of the Zoo’s annual Halloween event.

The creature keeper, who we dubbed Niamh, was a mystical being who rose up from nature long before the creatures of familiar fantasy and prehistory alike. Her natural progenitor status made her a strong anchor during an eclectic edition of Creatures of the Night, where an ongoing dinosaur exhibit mixed with family-oriented Halloween attractions.

Across our fully illustrated campaign, Niamh beckoned visitors amidst a bright woodlands setting with her black bear sidekick and small cast of creatures in toe. We heightened the effects in outdoor, where her glow-in-the-dark eyes bloomed from 3D flower petals, while her gemstone headdress sparkled in the sunlight.



Tandem Outdoor
Tandem Outdoor




Digital Outdoor





Some original concepts for the character were more familiar, like our towering guide type, while others more high-concepts, as in our liminal realm-hopper. Niamh was the right balance between. Cloaked in vibrant blooming vines, fungi-dotted skin, and a diaphanous robe, we designed her to be elegant and approachable, yes mysterious and unordinary. Then, we employed a wise, theatrical narration to introduce her as if telling a tale of fantasy.
Early Character Concept
Early Character Concept
Early Character Concept



TV




HTML5 Display
Across animated display and social, we cropped close-up on the details of her appearance. This allowed us to coerce viewers into taking a closer look, while highlighting the organic elements that hinted at her backstory.



Teaser Social
Social






Role
Concept, Illustration, and Lead Art Direction Concept PartnerMichala Jackson, CopywriterCreative TeamMatt Mewis, Studio Director
Josh Adams, Post-Production Director
Laurie Mullowney, Designer Creative Oversight
 Tor Lemhag, ECD
Completed at
Dunn&Co.
←  Previous