Cats and dogs are almost as popular on the internet as pornography, so it's only natural that a charitable organisation would use them to draw in potential donors, especially if said organisation's primary goal is to find homes for them. This charming pro bono campaign from J. Walter Thompson New York brings three of the Internet’s most beloved famous pets together to help the millions of homeless cats and dogs across the US find their forever homes. Fashion icon Toast Meets World, globally recognised pianist Keyboard Cat and life of the party Hamilton Pug are lending their star power to “Start A Story. Adopt,” a new public service advertising for The Shelter Pet Project, which is a collaborative effort between Maddie’s Fund, The Humane Society of the United States and the Ad Council.
Shelter Pet Adoption
“We hope Toast, Keyboard Cat and Hamilton Pug inspire people to support their local animal shelters and start their own stories by adopting a pet in need of a home”
All three of the campaigns featured pets receive millions of views, likes and shares on social media, but most people probably don’t realise they themselves were adopted, so these clips hope to illuminate their unique stories, and help the public realise that they could potentially rescue their very own charismatic canine (or feline). Prospective owners are encouraged to visit The Shelter Pet Project site to learn more about the adoption process and search for adoptable pets at shelters and rescue groups near them. Adoption advocates are also encouraged to support the effort on social media by using the hashtag #StartAStoryAdopt to share stories of how their shelter pets changed their lives for the better and to encourage others to start their own stories by adopting an amazing shelter dog or cat today.
Keyboard Cat
The TV, radio, print, outdoor and web PSAs will be distributed this week to national media and will air in donated time and space as per the Ad Council model. Over the coming months, the campaign will continue to build awareness around the issue through an extensive social media campaign, which will include original and user-generated content encouraging people to share their shelter pet adoption stories.
Through the Ad Council’s first partnership with CrowdTap, the campaign will also leverage the marketing platform’s extensive network of social media influencers to spread the word about shelter pet adoption and the new PSA campaign.
Toast Meets World
“This campaign comes at a watershed moment when we’re close to reaching our goal of ending pet homelessness in the US”
Gustavo Martinez, Worldwide Chairman & CEO of J. Walter Thompson, said: “J. Walter Thompson is proud to partner with The Shelter Pet Project and The Ad Council to champion the adoption of shelter pets. By showcasing the wonderful success stories of our adopted celebrity pets and the happiness they bring to thousands of people each day, we hope that prospective owners can see the difference they can make and choose a shelter pet as their next companion.”
Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council, added: “It’s heartbreaking that so many healthy and treatable pets are needlessly euthanised every year. Pets can bring so much love and comfort to a family, and I urge those thinking about adopting to make shelters and rescue groups the first place they turn.”
Hamilton Pug
The Shelter Pet Project is the first national PSA campaign to bring together animal welfare organisations and shelters across the country with one unified goal; to increase pet adoption. Since launching in 2009, The Shelter Pet Project has received more than $272 million in donated media, and in the past year alone, there have been more than 700,000 searches for adoptable pets on the charity's website. There is a common misconception that there is something wrong with shelter pets; however, the majority of these pets end up in shelters and rescue groups through no fault of their own, with moving and landlord issues among the top reasons animals find themselves in shelters. The idea behind this campaign is to alter public perception regarding shelter pets and as a former owner of a shelter dog myself, I appreciate the sentiment and admire the execution!
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
