The Wall Street Journal reported today that Pedigree dog-food will be joining the line-up of big name TV commercials during the upcoming Super Bowl on February 1, 2009. The company has never advertised during the football game, but believes the conditions are right for them to take the plunge now.
However Pedigree will not be talking about the quality of their pet food in the commercials, but will focus on a cause instead. The ads will promote the adoption of homeless pets.
Pedigree says that it currently spends about half its marketing budget encouraging people to adopt dogs and has had a lot of success with its television commercials.
“It’s the right message to send out at this time,” says John Anton, Pedigree’s director of marketing. “More dogs are going to end up in shelters because of home foreclosures.”
The new Super Bowl commercials will stay in the theme of most ads during the football game and will be funny. Pedigree’s commercial, which is being produced by Omnicom Group’s TBWA/Chiat/Day, will show what the world would be missing if there were no dogs. For instance, one ad will show an ostrich (and not a dog) harassing a mailman.
Pedigree feels sure that the commercials will be well received by the public.
The dog-food manufacturer is the third-largest in the country and says they are dedicated to the cause of helping orphaned pets find homes. And Mr. Anton says, Pedigree will continue to, “…make the best product we can.”
