GLASSES TO AVOID EYE CONTACT DESIGNED BY INSURANCE COMPANY AFTER GORILLA INCIDENT AT ZOO
Gorillas dislike making eye contact, as conservationists are aware. Gorillas view eye contact as a threat or a kind of taunting, even though it may appear to be a chance for human bonding. Nearly 20 years ago, a terrifying incident at a Rotterdam zoo made this very evident. The startling experience, in turn, gave rise to one of the most outrageous marketing gimmicks ever.
The Netherlands was rocked by an event at the Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo in 2007. After a group of kids threw rocks at him, Bokito, the dominant male gorilla in his group, broke out of his cage. According to The Guardian, Ton Dorrestijn, the zoo's director, told reporters, "He got over the moat, which in itself is remarkable because gorillas can't swim." "At the Oranje restaurant, he jumped onto a visitor path and began running, moving through tables and diners at full speed."
But the 400-pound gorilla did not pursue the children when he erupted. Bokito attacked a woman instead. Fortunately, the woman survived despite being bitten, dragged, and suffering some fractured bones. She was spotted walking unassisted. After being blocked, Bokito was put to sleep with a dart and taken back to his enclosure.
Subsequent information concerning his motivation for attacking that specific woman revealed that he had felt taunted by her frequent trips to the zoo, where she gazed right at him. She had erroneously believed they were bonding.
"My spouse and I visit the zoo almost daily, and we always see Bokito. The mother told De Telegraaf, "I even have photos and recordings from Berlin when he was just 4 months old." She even boasted that he would return her smiles if she smiled at him, probably thinking the defensive gorilla flashing his teeth was a welcoming smile. The mother went on to say, "He is and always will be my sweetheart."
This prompted the insurance company FTBO to create a marketing gimmick that, nearly twenty years later, still makes people laugh. Visitors to the zoo were given spectacles that were made to prevent eye contact with the gorilla. The cardboard eyeglasses, known as Bokito Kijker (Bokito Viewer), show a pair of eyes looking left, and a strategically positioned hole lets the observer get a glimpse of the gorilla without upsetting him. People can be seen staring sideways in the amusing photos of the stunt.
The glasses were also made available for download as PDFs on the FTBO website due to the campaign's success; however, they are no longer available. In the meantime, Bokito made headlines twice more: once in 2021 when he contracted COVID-19, and again in 2023 when he tragically died at the age of 27. The ten gorillas he fathered and the invaluable zoological and commercial teachings he imparted are testaments to his legacy. Keep in mind: avoid interacting with the gorillas. Perhaps, just possibly, a story with a happy conclusion can serve as the basis for an unforgettable campaign.