Celebrated annually on August 10th, World Lion Day was founded in 2013 by the Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic. The day's purpose is to raise awareness and support for the conservation of these magnificent creatures.
Here are some interesting facts about lions:
(1) A lion's roar can be heard from 5 miles away.
(2) Lions can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour.
(3) Lions can leap as far as 36 feet.
(4) Lions are social animals and empathise with other members of their pride. For example, they experience contagious yawning just like humans.
(5) Lions live between 12 and 16 years in the wild.
(6) White lions are a rare genetic variant of African lions, not a separate species. There are very few white lions left in the wild.
And now, let's pivot to marketing and check out six brands featuring lions in their logos and brand storytelling.
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
According to Wikipedia, "Founded in 1895, the New York Public Library (NYPL) is a chartered public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress. The two iconic marble lions guarding the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library are named Patience and Fortitude. Their famous names were officially given to them in the 1930s by New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. He believed these were the exact virtues New Yorkers needed to survive the Great Depression."
According to the NYPL's website, "NYPL's neighborhood libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island—many of which date to Andrew Carnegie's visionary philanthropy at the turn of the 20th century—are centers of educational innovation and service, vital community hubs that provide far more than just free books and materials. Our local libraries play a key role in closing the digital divide, especially for the millions of New Yorkers who don't have internet access at home. New York City public school students rely on their local branches for homework help. The city's immigrant communities count on NYPL's English language and literacy classes. Job seekers depend on our comprehensive job search resources. Altogether, the Library offers tens of thousands of free programs annually, serving everyone from toddlers to teens to seniors."
SHARE THIS: Some people didn't like the NYPL lions when they were first unveiled including President Teddy Roosevelt, who thought the library should have bison (as they are North American animals). ~NYPL #WorldLionDay #BrandStorytelling #LoveReading #DebbieLaskeysBlog
MONTEREY ZOO
According to the zoo's website, "In 1994, Charlie Sammut purchased the beautiful 51 acre Vision Quest Ranch located in the sun belt between Monterey and Salinas, California. The Monterey Zoo, formally Wild Things Animal Rentals, Inc. is now home to 100+ exotic animals ranging from spiders to African elephants. The zoo continues to run full-time educational programs that touch thousands of children and adults annually. The Vision Quest Ranch B&B helps support the animals by offering exciting alternative means of overnighting in Monterey County while providing a unique adventure for animal enthusiasts. The Monterey Zoo is home to five majestic African Lions. And due to the founding director's special relationship with an African lion named "Josef," the silhouetted lion in Monterey Zoo's logo and seen throughout the zoo, is in honor of Josef."
THE RITZ-CARLTON
According to Wikipedia, "The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is an American multinational company that operates the luxury hotel chain known as The Ritz-Carlton. The company has 108 luxury hotels and resorts in 30 countries and territories with 29,158 rooms, in addition to 46 hotels with 8,755 rooms planned for the future. The current company was founded in 1983, when the previous owners sold the Ritz-Carlton brand name and the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston. The brand was subsequently expanded to other locations. The company is currently a subsidiary of Marriott International...The story of the Ritz-Carlton brand begins with Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz, who was well-known in the hotel industry as the "king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings." He redefined luxury accommodation in Europe with his management of The Ritz in Paris and the Carlton Hotel in London, among others. Although Ritz died in 1918, his wife Marie continued the tradition of opening hotels in his name...The Ritz-Carlton logo combines a crown and a lion. The crown represents the British royal seal, while the lion symbolizes financial backing. Together, the design was created by pioneer hotelier Cesar Ritz in the early 20th century to signify that the brand was the king of hotels."
DENVER ZOO CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
According to Wikipedia, "The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is an 80-acre nonprofit zoological garden and conservation organization located in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1896, it is operated by the Denver Zoological Foundation and funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Denver Zoo was started with the donation of an orphaned American black bear. With the construction of Bear Mountain, it became the first zoo in the United States to use naturalistic zoo enclosures rather than cages with bars." According to its website, "For 130 years, the Zoo has been a place where Colorado comes a little closer to wildlife - and our story is still being written...And the African lion is featured on the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance logo because lions are one of the most popular and prominent species housed at the zoo, serving as a symbol of the organization's core mission to protect wildlife. The lion in the logo represents this ongoing dedication to both the care of big cats at the 80-acre campus and the zoo's broader global conservation efforts."
SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE
According to the alliance's website, "San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international, nonprofit conservation organization with two front doors. We integrate wildlife health and care, science, and education to develop sustainable conservation solutions. Conservation is at the heart of everything we do. And it starts with that connection we make with people and wildlife every day. Because when wildlife thrives, all life thrives...The lion in the San Diego Zoo logo (part of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance) honors "Rex," the iconic lion whose roar in 1915 inspired founder Dr. Harry Wegeforth to create the zoo."
According to Wikipedia, "The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its founder, Dr. Harry M. Wegeforth. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a safari park located in the northern part of San Diego. Opened in 1972, the safari park operates as a sister location to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. The safari park houses over 3,000 animals representing more than 400 species. It hosts a large array of wild and endangered animals from every continent except Antarctica. In 2022, the safari park attracted over 1.6 million visitors."
DETROIT LIONS
According to Wikipedia, "The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions compete in the National Football League as a member of the National Football Conference North division. The team plays their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1928 and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. Amid financial struggles, the franchise was relocated to Detroit in 1934 and renamed the Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Detroit Tigers. The Lions are the only franchise operational for the entirety of the Super Bowl era to not appear in a Super Bowl. The team's uniforms have basically remained the same since they moved to Detroit in 1934: silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys...The Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms on April 20, 2009. The logo was given a flowing mane and fangs, while the typeface featured a modern font...On February 1, 2017, the Lions announced a new typeface, logo, and the complete removal of the color black from the team identity. While the previous logo was retained, the border was changed from black to silver...On April 12, 2023, the Lions announced they would celebrate their 90th season in franchise history during the 2023 season with a commemorative logo and jersey patch. The inspiration for the patch is an homage to their logo from 1961 to 1969, which is also honored in the WCF memorial logo and the 60th commemorative season logo...The team's mascot is Roary the Lion."
What other famous brands feature lions in their logos? Chime in and share.
SHARE THIS: Believe in yourself, and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe in you. ~Mufasa in Disney's "The Lion King" #WorldLionDay #BrandStorytelling #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credits: New York Public Library, Monterey Zoo, The Ritz-Carlton, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Detroit Lions.
Read more about the NYPL's lions:
https://www.nypl.org/125/lions
Check out these book recommendations from the NYPL's Lions, Patience and Fortitude:
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2020/05/11/patience-fortitude-reading-list
