The Memphis Zoo is rebranding, and it's seeking public input on its new logo.
Now through Sept. 14, community members can cast their vote online on one of four logo design concepts, marking the first time the public has been able to weigh in on the zoo's branding.
The zoo's current logo has represented it for over three decades, and its leaders are looking for a change.
The logo redesign comes at a time its website calls an "exciting new chapter" for the zoo. A recent $50 million donation from Diane Smith, the wife of FedEx founder Fred Smith, is funding a transformation of the zoo's Africa exhibit. This includes new habitats for the African elephants and other animals of the African Veldt.
for Memphis Zoo
Jessica Amacker, public relations and communications specialist at Memphis Zoo, said the rebrand is an opportunity to "simplify and strengthen" the design of the logo in a promotional video.
"This isn't about forgetting where we've been," the zoo's website says. "It's about building on the legacy of Memphis Zoo and creating a brand that will carry us into the future."
The Memphis Zoo partnered with Allan Peters, a brand identity artist, for the project. Peters has worked with a number of well-known companies like Google, Nike and Patagonia, but said it has been a "dream" of his to create a brand identity for a zoo in a recent LinkedIn post.
Voters aren't choosing a final logo at this stage, but are instead helping the zoo pick a direction to move forward with.
The four logo options that are up for a vote are incomplete as they are — they're still in black and white. After voters pick a winner, Peters and the Memphis Zoo team will polish that design by choosing colors and fonts that help complete the new brand identity.
Annie Goldman covers government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at annie.goldman@commercialappeal.com or 901-930-7431, and followed on X @AnnieSGoldman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Zoo invites public to vote on new logo. Here's how to vote
