The Official Magazine of IAAPA
THERE’S AN AQUARIUM IN VIRGINIA THAT’S TALKING TRASH. At the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach created a playful campaign that's a masterclass in memorable marketing. Looking for the scoop on animal poop? Dropping Science has it covered.
The aquarium’s marketing team has turned fun scatological facts into eye-catching ads. “We honed in on a select few for the campaign, including ‘Urine the Danger Zone: Frogs pee to repel predators,’ ‘Wee Love Coral Reefs: Fish pee keeps coral reefs healthy,’ ‘Party Pooper: Male river otters perform a poop dance,’ and ‘Potty Mouth: Jellies poop from their mouths,’” says Mackenzie Di Nardo, vice president of marketing and public relations at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
The witty campaign pairs scientific facts with vibrant and original animal art. Virginia Aquarium created a landing page on its website to showcase the project and crafts organic social media content to keep the conversation going online. The campaign runs ads locally and regionally through billboards, social media, audio streaming, and print publications.
The quirky campaign stemmed from the success of a Dropping Science project involving Virginia Aquarium’s public bathrooms. Signs on the back of each stall door shared a digestive-themed animal fact—“Great white sharks make great big poops, which are feasts for smaller fish,” for example. Visitors raved about it.
“We’ve heard about people talking between stalls to share their bathroom facts. It teaches guests something new about animals that’s related to a taboo topic—and they love it,” Di Nardo says.
The aquarium is collaborating with industry partners, including Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation and the Virginia Beach Visitor’s Center, to share Dropping Science facts in their restrooms.
Strategically, the campaign focused on several main goals. It aimed to spark a positive conversation about the Virginia Aquarium, connect consumers to the marine environment, and drive ticket sales. The campaign created a centralized webpage for Dropping Science content and sought to increase website and social media engagement.
“Education is at the core of everything we do at the Virginia Aquarium, so it felt natural to integrate it into our advertising,” Di Nardo explains. The Dropping Science campaign needed to feel “like our brand—playful, educational, engaging, and nspiring—and turn people’s heads.”
The aquarium’s marketing team worked with its advertising agency, Otto Design and Marketing, to bring the creative campaign to life. “The campaign wouldn’t have come to fruition without the partnership,” Di Nardo says, adding that audiences have responded enthusiastically. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback. Our team is really proud of the campaign, and we’re eager to hear more from guests and the public.”
Given the campaign’s theme, the Virginia Aquarium team was mindful of its approach. “We were considerate when it came to tone and word choice—biologists, marketing, and leadership reviewed these to ensure our message met the mark.” While the team says they have not received any negative feedback, the aquarium drafted statements just in case.
“Yes, we’re talking about poop, but we didn’t want to include language that had a negative connotation. While facts about poop could be perceived as ‘gross,’ these are normal and natural animal behaviors that have a significant role in ecology. If that scientific notion remains the campaign’s cornerstone, then it keeps us rooted in our mission and meeting our goals,” Di Nardo says.
Marketing success depends on knowing the audience and what will resonate. “Humor is relatable to people, and it feels especially desirable today,” she says. “We hope our campaign inspires organizations to step outside of the box and look at complex and serious subjects in a light-hearted and approachable way.”
With its fresh perspective, the Dropping Science campaign gets people talking, thinking, and smiling. And therein lies its charm.
