2009 GOLD

NON-PROFIT / PRO-BONO / PUBLIC SERVICE

WORTH KEEPING

DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, THE DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Ron Kagan, Exec. Dir.

DONER

Alison Lemeshow, Sr. VP-Exec. Dir., Strategic Planning & Rsch.
Pete Spender, Exec. VP-Acct. Mgmt. Dir.
Josh Huling, Acct. Mgr.
Jan Alpert, Media Super.
Karen Cathel, Assoc. Creative Dir.
Gail Offen, Sr. VP-Creative Dir.
Mike Ward, Sr. VP-Creative Dir.
Jill Prost-Ray, Sr. Producer
Julie Benedict, Sr. Bdcst. Negotiator

The Detroit Zoo faced an incredible challenge: to secure new funding or close. The only solution was to seek approval of a new property tax from residents in three separate, somewhat adversarial counties. The insight: the shared belief, cross-county, that the zoo and saving the zoo are all about children. Despite a serious slowdown in the area's economy, this campaign not only convinced residents to vote yes in favor of a 10-year tax, but in all three counties, voters approved the tax with larger margins than anyone imagined.