BBH interns at The Barn are using dating app, Tinder, to help New York’s animal rescue agency, Social Tees, to find carers for dogs.

These are the idea’s three players:

• BBH’s 10 week “training program for emerging advertising talents” is called The Barn
• Tinder is a matchmaking mobile app that launched in 2012 and now has more than 10 million users. It takes pictures and ages from users’ Facebook profiles, adds in GPS technology, and allows people to view and meet other users nearby.
• Social Tees Animal Rescue is a not for profit organisation in Manhattan’s East Village that rescues abandoned animals from shelters that perform euthanasia on those not placed in homes. According to the ASPCA, 3.9 million dogs enter animal shelters every year.

The concept was part of BBH Barn’s internship competition to create buzz around a campaign.

Three members of The Barn created Facebook profiles and Tinder accounts for 10 dogs. They received 2,700 matches in less than a week.

The idea created both positive and negative responses from Tinder users. Tinder was not aware of the dog rescue campaign, but has not removed it. The app has, in fact, become a testing ground for marketers. This was merely one of its weirdest marketing trials. So far, only one dog has found a home via Tinder, but the campaign is new and as an awareness campaign it is doing its job very well, garnering a lot of free media words worldwide.

Those matched are also given the option of walking a dog for a day or foster-parenting a puppy for two weeks.

“People strictly go to Tinder to find love, go there to find relationships and companionship,” said Alexis Mood, the intern strategist behind the campaign. “These dogs have something to give.”

Dog matching is not an entirely new concept. There is also BarkBuddy, similar to Tinder, that allows people to find dogs that need rescuing. Doggy BNB, an Airbnb for pets, helps dog owners find care for their animals.

Creative credits:

Agency: BBH NY – BARN

Strategy: Alexis Mood

Art director: Jaehyuk Choi

Copywriter: Mario Garza