The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has awarded the Minnesota Zoo Brass Ring Awards for its marketing efforts promoting this past summer’s seasonal exhibit, Africa! The awards were given at the annual convention in Las Vegas this week.

Preston Kelly’s iconic ideas for the Minnesota Zoo received Brass Ring Awards for integrated marketing campaign of the year as well as online advertising, in the attractions category with attendance between one and two million visitors.

“The Minnesota Zoo respects strong work and has seen it help them surpass their attendance goals by almost 20% the past two years.”  according to Chris Preston, Executive Vice President and Creative Director.  “These awards are the icing on the cake, but it’s the way people from literally around the world are talking, tweeting, blogging and forwarding our viral and web work (whopooped.org) that is the most exciting for us right now.  We are helping the Zoo achieve its vision as one of the premier Zoos in the world.”

The Brass Ring Awards highlight originality, creativity and excellence in marketing among professionals in the attractions industry.

IAAPA is the premier trade association for the attractions industry worldwide, representing zoos, aquariums, museums, family entertainment centers and amusement parks. Since 2007, the Minnesota Zoo has received 10 Brass Ring Awards.

About Preston Kelly

Preston Kelly is a full-service, independent agency that creates Iconic Ideas for its clients including: financial services, insurance, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, outdoor recreation and retail. The agency has been honored with top awards including 3 EFFIES in the last 4 years, Best of Show at the Minneapolis Ad Competition – The Show, and MediaWeek’s Media Plan of the Year. Preston Kelly is a member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of independent marketing and communications firms. To learn more about Preston Kelly visit www.prestonkelly.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.tinyurl.com/prestonkelly or join the conversation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/prestonkelly.

About Minnesota Zoo

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit www.mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).