The whole world wants a dog. But what people are searching for tells a different story, with search data indicating that people are more frequently looking for dogs that are impossibly low-maintenance. Global pet food brand WHISKAS believes the answer may be a ‘Meowzer’ – a new breed of dog it has created, that’s suspiciously similar to a cat. The new global adoption campaign has been developed by Colenso BBDO.
Says Bianca Malcolm, Whiskas New Zealand: “The amount of searches for ‘lazy dog breeds that can be left alone’ has doubled in the past year, and is predicted to increase another 50% by the end of this year. People are looking for dogs that don’t bark, don’t need to be walked, don’t need to be trained, and are happy for long stretches at home – in other words, they’re looking for a cat.”
Says Kimberley Ragan, group creative director, Colenso BBDO: “We realised the perfect dog already exists. All it needed was a name change. Meet the Meowzer. It’s the perfect dog, for people who can’t really cope with a dog.”
The Meowzer is another way the WHISKAS brand is working towards its global goal of ending pet homelessness. It prevents dogs being returned to shelters due to incompatibility and allows potential pet parents to find their perfect adoptable cat instead.
Says Ragan: “Wherever people are searching for their ideal low-maintenance dog, we’re making sure they meet a Meowzer instead. By intercepting common search terms, the Meowzer is presented as the answer to every ‘impossible’ dog search.”
Based on their digital footprint, users are served short content films created with production partner, BUCK, which reveal the Meowzer to be the perfect answer to their search.
Meanwhile on social, The Meowzer was launched to the world by influencer Elias Weiss Friedman of The Dogist, while popular audio creator Puppysongs created a Meowzer song to kick off #Meowzer on TikTok.
As the campaign rolls out they will be joined by more dog and cat influencers, both with the united goal of helping adopters find the right pet, with all online activity supported by outdoor posters and digital OOH.
@madmax_fluffyroad This dog breed is called a Meowzer. It cleans itself, walks itself, never barks, and you can just leave it at home. Pls adopt a Meowzer (link in bio), but if you already have one use this @puppysongs to create your own Meowzer music video. Love, Geoff #Meowzer @whiskasnz #WHISKAS #ad ♬ Meowzer – Puppysongs
All touchpoints lead adopters to the Meowzer website, which uses a smart matching algorithm to accurately match potential adopters to the right Meowzers for them.
Client: Mars WHISKAS
Agency: Colenso BBDO
Production partners: BUCK and Franklin Rd
Media partner: Essence Mediacom
PR: Porter Novelli