Gorilla Marketing

Today, I’m going to talk about one of my earliest childhood lessons in the advertising field: gorilla marketing.  Literally, gorilla marketing… you thought I misspelled guerrilla marketing didn’t you?

Ivan the Gorilla lived for 27 years in the now shut down B & I Shopping Mall in Tacoma, WA.  I remember visiting the mall and watching Ivan the Gorilla in his enclosure.  The B & I Shopping Mall had brought Ivan in and kept him for 27 years in a concrete enclosure inside their retail area where people could watch him as they purchased goods.

Displaying Ivan the Gorilla was a smart marketing stunt- as a kid I loved to go visit him and watch the huge silverback amble around and look at the visitors.  Unfortunately, it was not such a great thing for Ivan and after being sued, Ivan the Gorilla was sent to a much better atmosphere at a zoo in Atlanta.

Below is a picture of Ivan the Gorilla in his original enclosure at the B&I Shopping Mall in Tacoma:

Ivan the Gorilla from Tacoma, WA

A more recent picture of Ivan the Gorilla in his new home at Zoo Atlanta:

Ivan the Gorilla in ZOO Atlanta

I’m glad that Ivan the Gorilla has a happy retirement home in Zoo Atlanta after serving for 27 years as an unwilling retail salesman!