The new, world-class Manatee River rescue habitat and grand entrance at Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens is nothing short of transformational. The 2026 spring opening served as an opportunity to generate excitement among visitors and the broader Jacksonville community, creating a sense of civic pride while reinforcing the Zoo’s position as a premier leader in manatee conservation and rehabilitation.

Through a strategic teaser campaign, the agency helped build anticipation ahead of the exhibit opening. The fully integrated campaign – including television, out-of-home, radio, digital, social and a dramatic on-site video wall display – leveraged the emotional appeal and visual beauty of the beloved manatee to inspire audiences while spotlighting the exhibit’s deeper conservation mission.