Preston Kelly’s ads for the Minnesota Zoo were named the top winners this week at the 2008 Brass Ring Awards. Together, they earned a total of five gold awards for integrated marketing campaign, online advertisement, PR program, television commercial, and web site.

The annual competition, hosted by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, recognizes excellence in marketing for amusement facilities worldwide. The awards celebrate originality, creativity, and excellence in marketing among professionals in the industry.

The winning campaign was created to help launch the zoo’s new exhibit, Russia’s Grizzly Coast (view the work) – the first exhibit of its kind bringing animals and their habitat of Russia’s Far East to Minnesota. Featuring up-close photography of grizzly bears and sea otters, the objective is to communicate the face-to-face experience guests will have when experiencing the new exhibit. TV, radio, out of home, print, web and guerilla tactics helped to bring the personality of the animals to life and encouraged consumers to visit the zoo.

Executive Vice President and Creative Director Chris Preston said, “Typically, creative agencies love zoos because animals make such amazing subjects for showcase work.  And we’re not above all that. In our case however, the work we were so fortunate to be recognized for, also led to Minnesota Zoo’s highest attendance in more than a decade and annual memberships set an all-time record.”

According to the IAAPA, the 2008 Brass Ring Award winners will be showcased as part of a large display in the Orange County Convention Center’s South Concourse. IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities worldwide. The organization represents more than 4,500 facility, supplier, and individual members from more than 90 countries. IAAPA strives to help members improve their efficiency, marketing, safety, and profitability while maintaining the highest possible professional standards in the industry.