Black dogs are unpopular. They stay four times longer in shelters on average because of their colour. A disastrous situation also known as the “Black Dog Syndrome”. This phenomenon is particularly problematic after the summer, a period when more than 60,000 animals are abandoned each year.

BETC and French animal adoption platform, SecondeChance.org, overcame the obstacle – because of Taylor Swift. The Black Dog operation, launched last October to help black dogs find a family using the craze surrounding Taylor Swift’s song, The Black Dog, that generated more than 120 million streams and billions of Internet searches. It triggered a tidal wave of visits to these neglected dogs, with exceptional results.

The operation consisted of renaming hundreds of black dogs with a new and very special name – that of the singer. “Kiki”, “Bonzaï”, “Chipie” and even “Zeus” were renamed… Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift but also Taylor Swift.

The objective was to capture the attention of Swifties – the millions of passionate fans of the star, whose power is so great it can change the price of eggs or affect the GDP of Singapore – by using the incredible visibility generated by the song. The gamble attracted the attention of the media (BFM, Le Figaro…) as well as social networks.

“Within a few hours, the profiles of our black dogs, which are usually the least viewed, experienced a peak in visits never seen before. We warmly thank the Swifties for their incredible support,” stated Florence Lepage, president of Second Chance.

The operation included content inspired by the world of Taylor Swift, as well as massive shares and messages of support, relayed on social networks. The initiative not only raised awareness of the issue of Black Dog Syndrome among the general public, but also offered a new chance to animals that would normally still be in shelters.

Credits:

Client Seconde Chance
Client Team: Florence Lepage

Creative Agency: BETC Paris
Chief Creative Officer: Stephane Xiberras
Creative Directors: Benjamin Le Breton, Arnaud Assouline, Matthieu Bouilhot
Art Director: Marie Glotin
Copywriter: Gilliane Hellstern
Sound Production: Sophia Conoscente, Adrien Brechaud
Post Producer: Guillaume Kartagener
Editor: Heather Haberajter
Motion Designer: Killian Palin