"Social butterflies" see London Zoo in a different light

Today, “social butterflies” at London Zoo investigated a miniature Zoo Nights billboard – a tiny but perfect-scale replica of our novel ad campaign appearing around the capital.  

The eye-catching insects use UV ‘messages’ on their wings – hidden to the human eye – to communicate with one another, which inspired us to work with media agencies The Kite Factory and EDIT, and specialist outdoor ad creatives BuildHollywood, to create a miniature UV Zoo Nights billboard especially for them.

The glowing billboard featured UV-reactive ink and in-built lighting components, creating a dazzling display for the rich variety of butterfly species at our Butterfly Paradise.

Butterflies can communicate using ultraviolet (UV) light, which is invisible to the human eye but easily seen by them. This communication system utilises structures on their wings to either reflect or absorb light and allows them to find mates while staying under the radar of predators.  

The wings of a male Blue morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) reflect UV light, creating a dazzling effect which alerts rival males to the butterfly’s intimidatory presence, while female butterflies can reflect UV light to attract males and initiate mating, or can signal rejection by altering her UV reflection. This sophisticated use of UV light ensures butterflies have a private and effective communication channel for both attracting mates and avoiding unwanted attention, keeping their interactions discreet and secure.

Visitors will be able to marvel in the spectacle of Butterfly Paradise – a walkthrough tropical haven in which butterflies fly freely overhead in the exotic environment – as part of Zoo Nights, every Friday evening at London Zoo. The conservation zoo’s limited run of evening openings serves up a unique mix of wildlife and city life, while allowing visitors to bypass the kids and crowds. Perfect for a first date, after-work catch-up or to unleash your inner child, grown-ups can explore the zoo like never before on a twilight trip through the animal kingdom.