WCS NY Aquarium
Capital Campaign

Agency: eyeball
Role: Executive Creative Director

I worked closely with Wildlife Conservation Society over several years to build and deploy an ambitious capital campaign to create the largest shark exhibit on the East Coast at the New York Aquarium.

After mapping a multi-year strategic fundraising plan, we created an attention-grabbing campaign of wild postings, hand-painted billboards, museum signage, and event collateral, supported by a new logo and tagline.

Our interactive fundraising website focused on a key architectural element of the new construction, referred to as “the shimmer wall.” The website drove public fundraising through purchasing virtual shimmer tiles and allowed people to donate, educate themselves, and share their support.

Days after our first fundraising event, Hurricane Sandy decimated the neighborhoods surrounding the aquarium and flooded the museum. In the aftermath, WCS played a vital role in revitalizing the Coney Island community and its new architectural project became a beacon of Brooklyn’s resilience. The successful campaign ultimately helped raise $158M and in 2018 NYA opened its new building featuring the Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit.