Flamingo Girl Is Born
How do you turn an annual tradition into something brand new that will get people talking again? Find a precocious little girl, put her in a Flamingo costume and let her loose in Washington Square Park.
Okay I’ll back up. When our new client (The Bronx Zoo) gave us the assignment to help them sell tickets to their weekends-only, all-October-long celebration of Halloween (Boo At The Zoo), we knew we had to perform. So we decided to tap into NYC’s love of all things October 31.
Perhaps more than any other city in America, New York City loves Halloween. Around here, the costume shops start popping up as soon as summer ends, like ghostly harbingers of the dark, cold, candy-filled nights to come. And eventually, someone pops the chilling question: “What are you gonna be for Halloween?” Insert scary music sting here.
We wanted to give people that same feeling of anticipation for Boo At The Zoo. So we conjured up Flamingo Girl, a precocious, strong-willed seven-year-old who was so excited for Boo At The Zoo that she was already dressed in costume. Katie, an art director here, even made the costumes (we needed multiple heads for some reason) herself. Then a bunch of us (and Broderville Films) spent the day in Washington Square Park with hidden cameras as FG asked everyone her question: “What are you gonna be for Boo At The Zoo?”
She asked cabbies. And statues. And tourists. And policemen. And hot dog vendors. And dogs. In the end, we made a series of little films that are a love letter to New York and an invitation to “the biggest, bestest Halloween event in New York City.” We hope you enjoy.
Oh, and… what are you gonna be for Boo At The Zoo?