Starcom MediaVest Group's "Pedigree Adoption Drive" campaign triumphed at the 2010 Media Federation Awards, taking home Best Integrated Campaign, Best Media Innovation and the Grand Prix.
To coincide with the first MFA Awards call for entry deadline this week [4pm, Friday 24 June], AdNews is running examples of some of the best work from last year's Awards.
OBJECTIVES
Faced with lacklustre results despite two years of TV advertising, Pedigree sought to increase to the number of dogs adopted through its Pedigree Adoption Drive (PAD) from a few hundred to 3,000 in the space of three months. To achieve this, the brand needed to raise awareness of the PAD programme from 15% to 30%, and increase consumer preference for Pedigree products by demonstrating its commitment to its philosophy and strapline - "Everything we do is for the love of dogs".
CAMPAIGN
Interviews with new dog owners, shelter workers and recent dog adopters revealed that people were more likely to adopt if they understood the circumstances behind each dog. Research also showed that people often viewed "shelter dogs" as "damaged goods" and more likely to be aggressive.
In order to shake this perception and inform and engage possible adopters, the Pedigree Adoption Drive placed thousands of yellow, life-sized, cardboard cut-out dogs in streets and parks around the country. Each "yellow dog" featured an individual dog's story and information on how to adopt via PAD. The "yellow dogs" attracted attention and spurred media coverage via Twitter and online blogs, which linked to the Pedigree Adoption Drive site.
Pedigree also invested in a partnership with Network Ten, which saw the broadcaster integrate the PAD campaign into its AFL coverage; heightening the brand's image and further increasing awareness of the drive. Selected dogs also appeared on TV programs - "Before the Game" and "Australia's Funniest Home Video Show" - where they interacted with the TV personalities to demonstrate that "shelter dogs" were "family friendly", in addition to print and online activity.
RESULTS
The Pedigree Adoption Drive successfully used dogs' personal stories to form an emotional connection between prospective adopters and abandoned dogs and 3,365 dogs were adopted within two months of the campaign launch. PAD awareness increased to 32% and more than $170,000 was raised. TNS tracking also revealed that 54% of people had a more favourable opinion of the Pedigree brand post-campaign.
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