Cat food ads have a tendency to dip their toes in schmaltz. AMV BBDO’s global campaign for Mars Petcare brand, Sheba, doesn’t. It’s funny.

The first ad in the new campaign, Resistance is Futile, parodies a cats’ ability to get what it wants, when it wants from its owner…even if that owner is bloke who would otherwise get sex.

Arthur Renault, Sheba senior brand manager, explained, “This is a bold new campaign for Sheba and a new direction for the brand. With AMV BBDO, we wanted to move away from telling our story in an earnest and literal way. So we decided to focus on the humour in the relationship between cat and owner and we think that owners will identify with the idea that cats know exactly how to get what they want.”

The 30 second spot is running in Australia, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US and online, with additional content launched on Facebook in September.

Adrian Rossi, executive creative director of AMV BBDO added, “Who is in charge? You or your cat? Anyone who owns a cat knows the answer. Hint: it isn’t you. The cat is the Boss. In the presence of our feline friends Resistance is Futile.”

Credits:

Creative agency: AMV BBDO

Creative directors: Adrian Rossi & Alex Grieve

Art director: Nadja Lossgott

Copywriter: Nicholas Hulley

Media planner: Matt Delaney

Planner: Lola Finney

Agency producer: Emma Butterworth

Account management: Alice Kassapian & Imogen White-Thomson

Production company: Smuggler

Director: Guy Shelmerdine

Sound: Wave