Toronto Zoo

With the recent return of the polar bear, the Toronto Zoo wanted to raise awareness of the crisis facing these colossal creatures – climate change. Polar bears can only hunt on sea ice, and as their world shrinks so does their chance of survival. Even worse, these facts remain almost completely unknown to the majority of the public.

Seeing is believing, so Lowe Roche knew if they could demonstrate this tragedy simply and with conviction, Canadians would take notice. The agency created massive, constantly melting installations that demonstrate the urgent need for action and, ultimately, support for the Toronto Zoo’s conservation efforts.

Placed in the heart of downtown, solid icebergs over ten feet tall appeared as if transported straight from the Arctic itself. Large imitation polar bears stood atop the icebergs. Made of over twenty huge blocks of ice and weighing nearly four tons, they could be seen slowly melting in Toronto’s summer sun. However, as the icebergs melted, the position of the polar bears grew more and more precarious until the iceberg dramatically collapsed along with the bear itself. A sign reading “Polar Bears Can’t Support Themselves,” stood beside the fallen bears.

The buzz created around the city was huge. The people of Toronto embraced the installation in droves, sharing it on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. The media made it their cause with features on CP24 and Breakfast Television. And the Toronto Zoo’s own website received increased clickthrough for its conservation effort. All proof that polar bear conservation doesn’t have to be conservative – a first step in creating a cooler future for the polar bear.