Salisbury–After nearly 50 years, the Salisbury Zoo has announced a complete rebranding, including a new logo and slogan.
The Salisbury Zoo, established in 1954, has cemented itself as a City mainstay, with over 100 animals in its nearly 13-acre facility, offering free admission to hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The Salisbury Zoo emphasizes conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife from North America, South America, and Australia, a value that was a main focus in the rebranding process.
The new logo depicts silhouettes of two of the Salisbury Zoo’s signature animals–an Andean Bear and a North American Bison. As of April 2023, the Salisbury Zoo is home to four Andean bears, Chaska, Pinocchio, and two cubs, Raymi and Inti, and two bison, Opal Lee and Ruby Jean.
The Salisbury Zoo’s former logo relied heavily on typeface and a clever use of the letter “Z” to depict a snake. The snake was added in 2009, though iterations of the logo have been in use since the late 1970s.
The Salisbury Zoo’s new slogan, “A World of Wild on the Eastern Shore,” highlights the Zoo’s geographic location in Maryland and its diversity of species, which come from three continents and include reptiles and amphibians, mammals, birds, and an array of ambassador animals. The new slogan will be used in promotional materials, online advertising and marketing, and on signage throughout the Zoo.
“Through numerous devoted hours in planning, we have made upgrades to a variety of our exhibits, educational programs, and the overall grounds of the Salisbury Zoo,” said Zoo Director Leonora Dillon. “With all the transitions taking place, it was a natural progression to update the logo to represent our ever-growing and improving Zoo. We know the community loves the Zoo and the animals here, and we’re grateful for their support.”
The City of Salisbury’s Communications team, who designed the logo and branding package, collaborated with staff in the City’s Arts, Business, and Culture Department, members of the Delmarva Zoological Society, and keepers at the Salisbury Zoo to develop the final logo, which went through almost a dozen iterations. As part of a brand development strategy, the Communications team informally polled a panel of Salisbury residents on their associations with the Zoo, and over 90 percent of responses included references to the bears and bison.
“The Salisbury Zoo is such a valuable institution in our City, and it deserves a fresh face to carry it long into the future,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “This new brand embodies our values of conservation and rehabilitation, but also incorporates our community’s favorite animals and we’re excited to welcome new generations of animals, new species, new exhibits, and much more to the Salisbury Zoo.”
Visitors to the Salisbury Zoo can also find a new interactive Zoo map with information about species and exhibits, Zoo shops and centers, and more, developed using the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology. The map can be accessed via a QR code on four strategically-placed maps throughout the park, and is hosted on the Salisbury Zoo’s website.
The former logo may be seen on signage in and around the Salisbury Zoo in the coming weeks and months as Salisbury Zoo crews work to update all materials.