Dog food company Pedigree has launched a new campaign, Adoptable, with Colenso BBDO and Nexus Studios as part of its mission to end dog homelessness.
The campaign, Adoptable, is using AI to put adoptable shelter dogs at the centre of Pedigree’s advertising. It uses a bespoke model to transform a basic photo of a shelter dog into studio quality photography, which can then be used in any Pedigree digital ad.
The initiative combines proprietary technology with Pedigree’s global ad reach to turn the brand’s digital ads into ads for shelter dogs, too.
Launched first in Pedigree’s global test market, New Zealand, the Adoptable technology is being refined and rolled out globally.
“Adoptable is a transformational step for us at Pedigree. It puts our purpose at the heart of everything we do. Soon, our advertising won’t just take our products to the world, it’ll take adoptable dogs, too,” says Fabio Alings, Global Brand Director, Pedigree.
Because Adoptable maps the new image of the dog to a CGI rig, the digital dog double can be positioned into any pose to suit any media format. And when the featured dog is adopted, it’s instantly dropped out of media rotation.
“Every ad Pedigree makes around the world has one universal similarity. It always features a dog in it. We wondered, what if that dog could be adoptable? By developing this technology, we can put purpose into the commercial realities of an FMCG brand. Sales driving and product-centric work can now power our ambition to end dog homelessness,” says Simon Vicars, Chief Creative Officer, Colenso BBDO.
Adoptable not only puts shelter dogs in the spotlight, but it also addresses another key issue impacting dog homelessness. Currently, one in five adopted dogs are returned to shelters. Adoptable matches breeds to the locations and households that suit them best through geo-targeting and first-party Data. Essence Mediacom and Hyper Media then made sure the right dogs were seen by the right people.
Adoptable’s launch saw an increase in adoption rates. Within the first two weeks, 50 per cent of shelter dogs featured had been adopted, with traffic to shelter site profiles increasing six times. Potential pet parents were 12 per cent more likely to adopt when the adopter comes into the shelter site via an Adoptable asset.
Global Marketing Manager Mehgan Recker says what’s different about Adoptable is that it allows any ad that Pedigree makes to live its purpose – not just a few adoption ads.
“Right now, 25 percent of our media spend goes towards purpose-led work. Adoptable gives us the ability to mobilise every media dollar behind dogs longing for their forever home. We know that if we can help shelter dogs be seen, we can help them be adopted.”
Pedigree has been supporting dog adoption for nearly two decades. Currently, there are 12 million dogs in shelters waiting for a home, worldwide.
