Inspired by a popular Belgian quiz show, “The Smartest Person in the World,” the contest put the two closely related species in a fierce competition, via linked up webcams, that involved specially devised games spread over a number of weeks.The entire competition was presented by a famous journalist, games were endorsed each time by a different celebrity, and even the cities’ mayors joined as the mascots. Videos were then uploaded on a dedicated website, and, through social media, fans could follow, encourage and cheer their team towards victory. The story was followed, on a weekly basis, by local newspapers, as well as a national TV show for kids. Another talk show even asked celebrities to actually try the games on stage, leading to quite intriguing results.In a similar fashion than a sport competition, the battle of the apes became a battle of two cities.

Across newspapers and TV, the story was picked up exactly where we wanted: the communities of Antwerp and Mechelen. Gate takings went up by 32% on game days and the campaign was a huge success on membership renewal and as an image enhancement.Nevertheless, the story of the Mechelen Bonobos and Antwerp Chimps was not simply reported by the Belgian media: the competition was also picked up by numerous international newspapers, such as CBS News, the Washington post, China News and the New Zeeland Herald, to name a few.