At the beginning of the pandemic, people started to become “collectors:” toilet paper, food, workout equipment; anything will do as long as we have the supplies we need to get through these difficult times. But who knew that we will see a rise in pet adoptions? This is good news for the poor orphaned animals but it is also comforting for us, humans, as these furry friends help us improve both our physical and mental health.

Shelters, animal rescues, breeders, or pet stores — they all reported more demand in 2020. Adoption is a reward on both sides: Affection, love, and the care that the two have for each other. It’s just that one of them is a little sneaky and the other is easy to be tricked. C’mon, tell us you’ve never been fooled more than once by the pet’s puppy eyes so that they can get an extra snack. Well, it’s a trap. Around 55-60% of pets end up overweight, which can affect their lives.

To make pet owners aware of the dangers overweight can bring to their furry pal, Hill’s Pet Nutrition suggests to “Feed the Love.” The brand’s campaign, imagined by Red Fuse Communications, the cross-agency WPP team servicing the Colgate-Palmolive business globally and a part of VMLY&R, relies on the most powerful emotion that is out there: love. To spread its message, the company created two short videos, each with a tale about love and loss, underlining how our affection towards our pets can make them gain some weight. Yet, each film ends up by providing us a suggestion on how to solve this and help our pets eat and stay healthy.

The spots feature the stories of Poochini and Moto, two pets, one dog and one cat. Each plot highlights the way emotions govern the way we interact with animals and how they can affect the way we feed our pets. Given that most people are home because of the pandemic, the connection we have with them resonates now more than ever. The brand’s goal is to help make pet owners realize that their animal’s health is a top priority.

“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.

For this initiative, Red Fuse joined forces with Bipolar Studio, with the spot directed by Colin Levy, who has been known for his animation work at Pixar. The Los-Angeles-based boutique production company worked on the design and concept, bringing the beautiful pieces to life. “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 30-second version of the Poochini spot aired during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Broadcast on NBC, while Moto can be seen early in 2021, during the Grammys.

Credits:

Client: Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Agency: VMLY&R

Creative / Production

Global Chief Creative Officer: Fred Saldanha

Global Executive Creative Director: Arlo Oviatt

Associate Creative Director: John Paul Cannucciari

Associate Creative Director: Salina Cole

Global Head of Production: Greg Lotus

Senior Content Producer: Taylor Schomann

Director of Business Affairs Content Production: Stacy Kallan

Production Assistant: Nikki O’Dell

Music Producer: Alexandra Allen

Creative Director: Marie Goodwin

Senior Copywriter: Kevin Wright

Senior Art Director: Senior Art Director

Production Artist: Mark Poe

Associate Creative Director: Associate Creative Director

Senior Production Designer: Russ Weydert

Proofreader: Vanessa Aricco

Direction & Production: Bipolar Studio

Music & Sound Design: Zelig Sound

Account / Strategy

Managing Director: Kristin Ramsey

Client Services Director: Alison Mueller

Group Director – Strategy & Insights: Emily Dorev

SVP Shopper / Ecommerce: Kristen Ashner

Senior Account Manager: Sarah Vanlandingham

Account Supervisor: Leslie McDonough

Senior Account Manager: Maura Tingey

Media / PR

Senior Partner – Media: Todd Fraipont

Account Director – Media: Mike Poerio

SVP – PR: Marie-Sophie Lantin

Account Director – PR: Alyssa Hershfield

Director – Paid Search: Karen Works

Channel

Content/Web Strategist: Josh Coburn

Social Strategist: Nicole Papageorgiou

Relationship Marketing Strategist: Ashley Netzer

Senior Global SEO Manager: Elgin Smith

Hill’s Team

Global Marketing & Innovation: David Scharf, VP

US Marketing Director: Yvonne Hsu, VP

US Marketing Director – Wellness: Oyin Enoch

US Senior Brand Manager – Wellness: Kelly Doyle

Global Marketing & Innovation Manager: Jen Mitchell