If Hill’s social feeds are any indication, it seems like everyone in America has welcomed a new furry friend during the pandemic. Shelters, animal rescues, breeders, pet stores — all reported more demand in 2020.
And whether it’s training, negotiating or just plain love and affection, it’s easy to find yourself rewarding a good boy (or girl) with one-too-many treats. But owners might think again before sharing their Thanksgiving table scraps.
The sad reality with pet ownership is that 55-60% of pets end up overweight, with most pet owners unaware of the dangers this can bring. Hill’s Pet Nutrition is hoping to educate pet owners, new and old, on the dangers of pet obesity in their latest campaign, Feed the Love.
Instead of relying on shame-based messaging or fear tactics, the campaign from our friends at Red Fuse Communication, VMLY&R’s Colgate-Palmolive cross-agency, leverages the highest-order emotion: love.
Two beautifully animated short films each tell a tale of love and loss by showing how our emotional relationships can create the problem of pet obesity and also, ultimately, provide the best way to solve it—simply by changing what goes into their bowl. Watch below:
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“Consumer research suggests that up to 90% of pet parents don’t realize that weight could be a problem for their pet. That’s a huge opportunity to raise awareness about an issue we can help solve with nutrition” says David Scharf, VP, global marketing & innovation, Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
Behind the Scenes
Hill’s wanted to highlight how emotions play a key role in how we interact with pets, affecting everything we do for dogs and cats, including how we feed them. And as a huge segment of our national population is largely isolated and currently staying at home, the day-to-day connection we have with pets resonates now more than ever.
The long-term goal is to help make pet health a top priority as owners navigate the twists and turns of 2020 and beyond.
Red Fuse teamed up with Los Angeles-based Bipolar Studio, with the spot directed by Colin Levy. Bipolar Studio worked from a blank slate to design, concept and bring to life the beautiful pieces.
The team was made up of some of the top talent with previous lead/executive roles at DreamWorks and Disney including Colin who has been known for his animation work at Pixar and has been adapting his sci-fi short film Skywatch into an original TV series for NBC’s Peacock.
“From the beginning, we knew that we wanted to create a campaign based on love,” said Fred Saldanha, Global Chief Creative Officer for Colgate-Palmolive VMLY&R. “The biggest surprise was seeing the 3D characters come to life and really touch our hearts. But the most important thing is that we ended up tackling a tough topic in a way that people relate to.”
The Poochini spot will launch its :30 cut during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Broadcast on NBC. Moto’s spot will be airing early in 2021 during the Grammys (01/31).
Beautiful work. Poochini remind the Reel 360 Team of Pixar’s Up in storytelling and execution.
CREDITS:
CLIENT:
- David Scharf, VP, Global Marketing & Innovation
- Yvonne Hsu, VP, US Marketing Director
- Oyin Enoch, US Marketing Director – Wellness
- Kelly Doyle, US Senior Brand Manager – Wellness
AGENCY: Red Fuse Communications/VLMY&R
- Fred Saldanha, Global Chief Creative Officer
- Arlo Oviatt, Global Executive Creative Director
- John Paul Cannucciarri, Associate Creative Director
- Salina Cole, Associate Creative Director
- Greg Lotus, Global Head of Production
- Taylor Schomann, Senior Content Producer
- Stacy Kallan, Director of Business Affairs Content Production
- Nikki O’Dell, Production Assistant
- Alexandra Allen, Music Producer
- Marie Goodwin, Creative Director
- Kevin Wright, Senior Copywriter
- Matt Shaw, Senior Art Director
- Mark Poe, Production Artist
- Anthony Tackett, Associate Creative Director
- Russ Weydert, Senior Production Designer
- Vanessa Aricco, Proofreader
- Bipolar Studio, Production
- Zelig Sound, Music & Sound Design
ACCOUNT/STRATEGY:
- Kristin Ramsey, Managing Director
- Alison Mueller, Client Services Director
- Emily Dore, Group Director – Strategy & Insights
- Kristen Ashner, SVP Shopper / Ecommerce
- Sarah Vanlandingham, Senior Account Manager
- Leslie McDonough, Account Supervisor
- Maura Tingey, Senior Account Manager
MEDIA/PR:
- Todd Fraipont, Senior Partner – Media
- Mike Poerio, Account Director – Media
- Marie-Sophie Lantin, SVP – PR
- Alyssa Hershfield, Account Director – PR
- Karen Works, Director – Paid Search
CHANNEL:
- Josh Coburn, Content/Web Strategist
- Nicole Papageorgiou, Social Strategist
- Ashley Netzer, Relationship Marketing Strategist
- Elgin Smith, Senior Global SEO Manager
SOURCE: VMLY&R
