Technology has transformed OOH, and not just into anamorphic 3D eye-catchers. Last week, Bruketa&Žinić&Grey and Deutsche Telekom launched posters that find lost dogs by attracting them with scent. This week, Erma&Reinikainen and Musti Group, the largest pet retailer in the Nordics, have launched pilot DOOH that locates lost pets by functioning as a real-time alert system.
Thousands of pets go missing each year, and the speed at which information spreads is critical to finding them. Musti’s lost pet DOOH responds to a missing pet alert submitted online by automatically displaying it on outdoor advertising screens in the area where the pet was last seen. By turning hyperlocal DOOH into a real-time alert system, information about a lost pet reaches nearby people quickly – significantly increasing the chances of the pet being found sooner.
The initiative offers a more effective complement to traditional posters and social media posts commonly used in searches for missing pets. When a pet goes missing, an alert submitted via Karkurit.fi automatically appears on outdoor screens in the relevant area, based on postal code. Karkurit.fi is Finland’s most widely used website for reporting lost pets. The alert runs alongside regular advertising content on participating screens, around the clock.
The issue of lost pets affects a wide cross-section of Finns. According to Kantar, Finland is home to approximately 800,000 dogs and one million cats. Nearly all major outdoor advertising operators are participating in the Lost Pet Alert pilot, enabling the service to leverage a nationwide network of thousands of digital screens. The service will remain visible in public spaces for several months and may later be developed into a permanent solution.
“With this technology, information about a lost pet reaches people in the area quickly. Musti Group operates nationwide, giving us the opportunity to provide visibility for missing furry family members from south to north and east to west. We want to promote the wellbeing of families with pets in every possible way, using the full power of our network,” stated animal trainer, Janica Raudasoja, from Musti Group.
The technical implementation for Erma&Reinikainen idea was handled by Inuits. PR is being managed by brand and communications agency, United Imaginations.
