Copyright Yalin Kaya
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Campaign Snapshot
Problem
Feeding wildlife in Toronto was on the rise, posing risks to both humans and animals. The City of Toronto launched the “Don’t Feed Wildlife” campaign to educate residents about changes to the Animals By-law which prohibits residents from feeding wildlife.
Insight
To stay alive, wildlife must stay wild.
Idea
The campaign highlighted how wildlife, though deceptively cute, are not pets. By placing animals like coyotes and foxes in pet accessories, the visuals emphasized that feeding them disrupts their natural instincts. The message: admire them, but let them stay wild to ensure safety for both animals and humans. This campaign launched in OOH, digital and social.
Results
The campaign sparked a viral frenzy. A transit ad featuring a bowtie-wearing coyote was shared by comedian Chris Betts with the caption, “THEN WHY IS HE WEARING A BOWTIE? I WANT TO GIVE HIM SPAGHETTI.” The tweet garnered 3.1M views, 115K likes, and 13.3K retweets in three days. It also inspired engagement from meme pages, brands like Goodfood, and media outlets including BlogTO, CP24, and the Toronto Star.