Why toy koalas have appeared all over New York City
An ad agency in New York has put dozens of plush koalas on trees, lamp posts and poles around the city in an effort to raise money for an Australian wildlife charity.
About 100 koalas have been placed near iconic locations including the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Bridge and the World Trade Centre by agency Cummins & Partners New York.
The label on the toys includes a QR code directing the public to a GoFundMe page for the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation.
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The woman behind the project, Rachel Mitrani from Cummins & Partners, told 3AW’s Ross and John she was inspired after hearing millions of animals in Australia have died due to the bushfires.
“I realised I had to do something,” she said.
“I was walking in the city and I was staring at the trees and envisioning koalas on them”.
She brought the idea to her ad agency and the team worked quickly to “connect New York City to Australia”.
Rachel says some of the koalas have unfortunately been taken down, but the public are still posting photos dozens of photos from around New York, driving engagement and donations.
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Image: Koalas of NYC Instagram