Animal Planet Unleashes Piranhas to Promote Show

To promote the April 25 second season premiere of “River Monsters,” Animal Planet unleashed five tricked out smart cars made to look like a swimming school of piranhas on the streets of New York City. From April 21 to 24, street teams—five drivers and five “monster anglers”—wearing branded fishing vests intercepted consumers to hand out branded hats, koozies and tune-in cards.

“We felt that the smart cars dressed as piranhas, traveling as a school of fish, and the accompanying fishermen would be a good way to draw attention to the return of our hit show, ‘River Monsters,’” Noha Abdalla, senior marketing director at Animal Planet, told Buzz.

The piranha smart cars were built with 3D details, like protruding aluminum fins and teeth as front bumpers. On the rear, the vehicles sported an LCD TV playing previews of the show on a loop. The street teams visited city hotspots like Columbus Circle, Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, Times Square and Central Park.

“The stunt was a good way to have new viewers interact with the Animal Planet brand and learn about the show, as well as the returning viewers to talk with brand ambassadors about why they love the show,” says Abdalla. Agency: Pierce Promotions, Portland, ME; Builder: Turtle Transit, Lancaster, MA.