420,000+ visitors across Iulius Malls with Giant Bugs

Executive summary

Shopping malls are turning from static retail hubs into experiential community destinations. To capture footfall and extend dwell time, Coco Agency toured its interactive Giant Bugs exhibition across four flagship properties of the Iulius Group network in Romania — combining animatronic marvels with structured scientific content for schools and families.

The tour brought more than 420,000 visitors to the four malls.

The tour

Iulius Mall Cluj-Napoca — Iulius Parc · Iulius Mall Suceava — New Shopping Area · Palas Iași — Palas Gardens · Iulius Town Timișoara — Iulius Gardens

The challenge

Modern shopping centres must keep foot traffic flowing while offering real value that sets them apart from online shopping. Iulius needed a high-impact, family-oriented attraction that would sustain interest for weeks, reach every age group and strengthen the brand as a community-centred place.

The execution

We engineered an immersive, turnkey touring exhibition: 24 ultra-realistic, oversized animatronic and static invertebrates — including a 4-metre earthworm, a 3.5-metre moth, and 3-metre tarantulas and dragonflies — that move and make lifelike sounds in custom-designed habitats.

The installation went beyond spectacle. We curated scientific content on insect biology, ecosystems and biodiversity, which made the exhibition especially attractive to schools, biology teachers and parents looking for learning outside the classroom.

Results

Foot traffic. More than 420,000 visitors across the four Iulius properties.

High-value audiences. The educational content made the malls a weekend destination for families, parents and organised school groups.

Longer dwell time. Visitors stayed longer on site, increasing spending in food, beverage and retail.

Brand equity. Hosting educational content earned wide local media coverage and strengthened the network’s civic image as a supporter of youth learning.

The future of retail is educational

Family-oriented, educational programming is no longer a niche addition to retail — it is a commercial catalyst. Building on this success, the Iulius Group has booked Coco Agency’s Living Dragons exhibition for the following year.