The Covid year brought a lot of changes. Some will fade into the memory of a very tough period. Others will stay. One of the latter is a growing understanding by many that “we’re better with pets”. Having to fill long hours at home with little or no human contact made many people realise what pets can bring into their lives.
British pet business, Pets at Home, and The&Partnership are making the most of this surge of interest in owning pets and curiosity about new pet ownership with all its trappings – from products to support. The partners have launched the business’ first fully integrated campaign under its new brand communication platform, We’re better with pets. Sweetshop director, Nicolas Jack Davies, provided the hero commercial with a heart-warming montage that champions the bond that people have with their pets. People go an extra mile or two for their pets.
The campaign both celebrates how pets enrich humans’ lives and establishes Pets at Home’s full-service pet care services, that range from the usual pet supplies to support for pet owners, veterinary care, grooming and health plans. Making the commercial feel real was essential to the creative idea.
“Central to my pitch was that we use real people and their actual animals,” Davies explained. “I wanted to use as little animal handling and trained animals as possible. It turns out that putting a loose casting call out for ‘interesting people with interesting pets’ is a pretty good way to get hundreds, maybe thousands (ha), of responses. I watched something like 300 casting tapes. The approach was the right one because it turns out casting through ‘animals’ delivers you a brilliantly diverse, eclectic, engaging bunch of people from all ages and backgrounds. Some of the self-tapes were hilarious, others tear jerking – and that affected the spirit of the film as that was the truth we were after.”
Karen Williams, group marketing director at Pets at Home, added, “We want to show customers that we truly understand what it’s like to have pets as part of our families and that we’re here for them, through thick and thin. Pets bring us so much joy and ‘We’re better with pets’ is a true celebration of both the magic bond we have with them and Pets at Home’s role to support pet owners, every step of the way.”
The campaign is running across TV, broadcast VOD, social and digital.
“Pet ownership is an incredible ride, but it’s not always easy. From the early morning wake-up calls, muddy paws and cage cleaning, to toilet training mishaps and mischievous puppies; what makes it all worth it is the irreplaceable bond we have with them. Ultimately, we’re all better with pets and there’s no one better placed than Pets at Home to advocate that,” commented Micky Tudor, joint executive creative director, The&Partnership London.
Credits
Agency: The&Partnership London
CEO: Sarah Golding
ECDs: Yan Elliott & Micky Tudor
Creative Director: Kate Allsop
Creatives: Nuno Mendes, Leandro Marchiori & Liz Oakley
CSO: Emily Harlock
Senior Planner: Isabel Day
Managing Director: Gary Simmons
Business Director: Jessica Bailey
Account Director: Sarah Firmston-Williams
Senior Account Manager: Lizzie Healey
Head of Integrated Production: Charles Crisp
Producer: Alfie Glover-Short
Integrated Producer: Louise Hawkes
Head of Art: Marc Donaldson
Designer: James Wakefield
Digital Designer: Alex Dempsey
Retoucher: Richard Palmer
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Nicolas Jack Davies
Executive Producers: Justin Edmund-White & Morgan Whitlock
Producer: Jess Bell
Production Manager: Sam Jackson
Director of Photography: Harry Wheeler
Editor: Ellie Johnson @ tenthree
Senior Assistant Editor: Dave Robinson @ tenthree
Post Production: Time Based Arts
Post Producer: Jo Gutteridge
Flame Lead: Adam Fenwick
Nuke: Sarah Breakwell
Colourist: Simone Grattarola
Audio Post Production: Grand Central Recording Studios
Senior Audio Producer: Molly Butcher
Sound Engineer: Tom Pugh
Music Supervision: Lizz Harman @ DLMDD
