Pedigree + Google launch new ‘Found’ campaign and app via Colenso BBDO to find lost dogs
The fear of losing your dog is universal to all dog owners, but smartphones may now hold the key to finding lost dogs – by outrunning them with digital ads, thanks to Pedigree and Google’s new app and campaign via Colenso BBDO, Auckland.
Pedigree, with the help of Google, want to make lost dogs a thing of the past with their brand new NZ-developed project ‘Found‘.
If a dog goes missing, every second counts. Pedigree has created an app that allows dog owners to pre-register their dog. If a dog is lost, the owner can use the app to send out a real time, geo-targeted message to people in the vicinity.
When an owner hits ‘LOST’ on the app, a pre-registered ‘lost dog’ advertisement featuring their dog is created and instantly served across the Google Display Network within a 1.5 mile (2.5km) radius of the owner. A push notification is also sent via the app to other owners have who signed up.
By instantly sharing a dog’s information to people who are online in the immediate area, and thus the most likely to be able to help, the project seeks to reunite more lost dogs with their owners. Everything Pedigree does is aimed at making the world a better place for dogs and dog owners and this vision is central to the thinking in the Found app.
At the heart of this campaign lies one of the oldest forms of digital advertising – digital display banners. In this case, the combination of geo-targeted ads with real-time ad serving means that Pedigree have created a world first – a lost dog poster that can move faster than the lost dogs themselves.
The campaign was conceived by Colenso BBDO, in collaboration with Google. It takes 
advantages of the unique features of smartphones, and shows the possibilities presented by the creative use of technology. It will launch on 15 April in New Zealand.
Says Nick Garrett, CEO, Colenso BBDO: “Whenever you get to work on a campaign of this nature it is always an exciting challenge. Mars are a company constantly looking to innovate and thus Google are the perfect partner for them to work with and as a dog lover and owner in the past, I immediately fell in love with the concept and the benefit the technology provides.”
Says Leonid Sudakov, CMO, Mars Petcare: “Found goes to the heart of what we as a company want to do – help make the world a better place for dogs and dog owners alike. The fear of what to do when your dog goes missing is a universal one, and being able to harness the power of digital & mobile to help consumers in their time of need is what makes our job so rewarding.”
Says Roberta Macdonald, head of creative agency engagement, Google Australia/New Zealand: “Found is a great example of how a brand can live their values through the creative use of mobile technology. Projects like this can have a big impact on people, delivering a simple way to take instant action during a stressful experience.”
Clients: Oliver Downs, Debbie Laing, Maria Granados – Mars
Creative Chairman – Nick Worthington
Executive Creative Director – Andy Blood
Senior Copywriter – Matt Lawson
Clients: Oliver Downs, Debbie Laing, Maria Granados – Mars
Creative Chairman – Nick Worthington
Executive Creative Director – Andy Blood
Senior Copywriter – Matt Lawson
Copywriter – Ben Polkinghorne, Iain Nealie (Google)
Art Director – Scott Kelly, Tara McKenty (Google)
Creative Technologist – Mat Tizard (Google)
Digital Planning Director – Neville Doyle
Group Business Director – Ahmad Salim
Account Director – Abbi Barker
Project Director – Maria Bjorkman
Executive Digital Producer- Tim Freeman
Senior Digital Producer – Dov Tombs
Digital Producer – Anna Flaws
10 Comments
That’s actually a pretty good idea for an app (if nobody else has thought of it already).
Why not just use GPS?
Nick Worthington. Jus found out you were the man behind Wrangler. Respect from the past.
Ah Lawson… You’ve done it again.
Awesome idea. Well done.
Cool technology but not the best way to solve the problem. As @Americans…. said, why not just use GPS?
Because there is no category at Cannes for GPS tracking.
I love GPS as much as the next guy, but this works without the expense and foresight of buying such a collar.
Hmm $69 for your beloved pooch. Cheaper than a check-up at the vet.
http://www.pettracker.com/pet-gps
Anyone who has a technical background knows there is a bunch of shortcomings with GPS technoloogy for this problem. The pettracker tagg device is US only and requires a $10/month service plan. The battery has to be recharged every week. I don’t see many dogs getting around with these things on yet do you? Sure they are a good idea, but the technology for them isn’t quite there yet.
This campaign uses solutions that work right now and is available to every dog owner. It’s pretty genius in my opinion.