Minties is getting personal in its latest effort against dog breath. Following the success of last year’s “Dog Breath Is Over” campaign, the pet dental-care brand has reunited with independent creative agency TiNY for “Minterventions,” a new campaign inviting dog owners to confront their pets’ less-than-fresh breath.
The effort promotes Minties FreshBites, a line of chewy dental treats designed to be offered throughout the day for a longer-lasting chew.
“‘Dog Breath Is Over’ was the big message,” said Jissan Cherian, chief marketing officer at PetIQ. “‘Minterventions’ makes the message personal. If you’ve got a dog with stinky breath, we want to hear from you.”
The original campaign launched in November with a newsbreak-style commercial declaring an end to dog breath. According to the company, consumers responded by purchasing Minties FreshBites in numbers that exceeded the brand’s most optimistic projections.
The new phase of the campaign begins at Minterventions.com and expands the idea through two new commercial spots.
A problem that calls for an intervention
One of the new spots, “Cabbage,” features a dog named Mollie and an extendable hand—a necessary precaution because, according to the ad, Mollie’s breath smells like she ate a skunk that also had bad breath. A voiceover then asks the campaign’s central question: “Does your dog need a Mintervention?”
Naturally, Minties FreshBites provides the answer.
Both spots were directed by Evan Silver of Reform School and edited by Tina Mintus of Northern Lights in New York. Watch below:
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“It starts with a real, relatable problem,” said Mike Rovner, partner and chief creative officer at TiNY. “That’s the TiNY way – we help clients build worlds they can live in. Once you set up the rules of the world, you can have a lot of fun.”
That world now extends beyond traditional advertising.
Beginning this month, dog owners can visit Minterventions.com and submit stories describing just how bad their pets’ breath has become. Participants can receive a complimentary Mintervention Fresh Breath Kit to help stage an intervention of their own.
Taking bad breath to the streets
Minties is also bringing the campaign into the real world with a live Mintervention pop-up in New York City.
The event was scheduled for July 25 in Washington Square Park, where pet owners could bring their most malodorous mutts for an in-person fresh-breath intervention.
“We got a huge bump in awareness out of ‘Dog Breath Is Over,’” said Michael Stoopack, TiNY partner and president. “Now we get real stories of dog breath being conquered one pet at a time. It’s going to add so much context to the story.”
Tom Christmann, TiNY partner and chief marketing officer, added: “‘Dog Breath Is Over’ made headlines. ‘Minterventions’ makes house calls.”
Minties FreshBites are available through Walmart, Petco, Amazon, Chewy and other retailers. Dog owners can submit their breath-related horror stories through the campaign website.
CREDITS:
BRAND: PETIQ
- Jissan Cherian – CMO
- Ryan Stevens – SVP Marke&ng
- Ashley Paterno – Senior Brand Manager
- Jay Valle – Senior Crea&ve Strategist
AGENCY: TiNY
- Mike Rovner – Chief Crea&ve Officer
- Tom Christmann – Chief Marke&ng Officer
- Jules Evenson – Crea&ve Director
- Heather Long – Strategist
- Michael Stoopack – President
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Reform School
- Evan Silver – Director
- Ryan Ennis – Execu&ve Producer
- Condra MaGee – Produc&on Manager
- LaTasha Williams – Coordinator
- Jabu Brown – 1st AD
- Antoine Ivey – 2nd AD
- Caleb Heymann – Cinematographer
- Jerry D’Alesio – Produc&on Designer
- Renee Tom – Wardrobe Stylist
- Lisa Pope – Hair/Makeup
POST: Northern Lights
- Tina Mintus – Editor
- Jody Peters – Execu&ve Producer
- Michael McKenna – Crea&ve Director/VFX Ar&st
- John McMinn – Assistant Editor
COLOR: Company 3
- Jaime O’Bradovich – Colorist
- Nick Krasnic – Producer, Short Form
AUDIO: Superexploder
- Jody Nazzaro – Audio Engineer
- Meredith Nazzaro – Execu&ve Producer
