Kids Tell Sweet Stories About Where Puppies Come From, Only to Break Your Heart

Ask a group of kids where puppies come from, and they'll tell you wondrous stories of frolicking in Puppyland and playing with puppy friends. That's how The Humane Society of the United States begins its latest campaign launching on the glorious holiday that is National Dog Day. 

While things start out bright and cheery with the children painting pictures of puppies living the life in high-rise Manhattan puppy condos or in a world full of treats, the spot, created by Rokkan, takes a dark turn.

While children have one way of looking at the world, the truth is many puppies come from puppy mills where, as one kid puts it, dogs "don't get kisses, they don't get good nights, they don't get nothing." It's a heartbreaking message to have the youngsters deliver, especially after their fantastical descriptions at the beginning.

"Ask a child a simple question, and you'll get answers that are unfiltered, strange and beautiful," said Rokkan CCO Brian Carley. "These are the kind of answers we all wish were true. With these films, we take our viewers on a journey that's fantastical and silly, but it also makes it easier to tell the actual origin story that is cruel and hard to swallow." 

The campaign, "Don't Buy Into Puppy Mills," also includes three 30-second spots. Those looking to contribute in some way can sign a puppy pledge promising not to buy dogs online or from pet stores and to always consider pet adoption.

"The work is meant to appeal to anyone who has the tiniest compassion for animals and care about their ongoing welfare," said Rokkan CEO John Noe. "From a more actionable point of view, we also wanted to reach people actively looking to purchase a dog as a pet." 

CREDITS

ROKKAN:

Chief Creative Officer – Brian Carley

Chief Strategy Officer – Sean Miller

Chief Technical Officer – Jim Blackwelder

SVP, Chief Delivery Officer – Joe Tao

SVP, Client Partnership – Matt Garcia

SVP, Media and Analytics – Lindsay Williams

Senior Media Strategist – Lorraine Schwartz

Associate Strategist – Spice Walker

Account Director – Kim Svarney

Creative Director – Jeff Samson

Creative Director – Anthony DiPaula

Associate Creative Director – Noel Nickel

Senior Art Director – Steff Wilson

Senior Developer – Dusan Milko

Producer – Maxine Ho

Executive Producer (Hone Production) – Greg Tharp

Senior Producer (Hone Production) – Tina Lam

PRODUCTION:

Production Company – Honor Society

Director: Lara Shapiro

Executive Producer – Megan Kelly

Producer – Trevor Herrick

Director of Photography: Adam Beckman

EDIT:

Fluid Editorial

Executive Producer – Laura Relovsky

Senior Producer – Michelle Seidenfrau

Editor – Peter Sabatino

Assistant Editor – Stephen Ortega

Assistant Editor – Dan Nasser

AUDIO:

Mr. Bronx Audio

Executive Producer – Claudia Gaspar

Sound Design + Mixer – Eric Hoffman

Sound Design + Mixer – Dave Wolfe

MUSIC:

JSM Music

CCO – Joel Simon

Executive Producer – Jeff Fiorello

ANIMATION:

Director: Buck

Executive Creative Director: Orion Tait

Executive Producer: Anne Skopas

Creative Director: Thomas Schmid

Senior Producer: Kevin Hall

Production Coordinator: Alexi Yeldezian

Art Directon: Thomas Schmid, Kyle Strope

Storyboards: Thomas Schmid

Design: Olivia Blanc, Justin Fines, Jon Gorman, Fede Reano,Thomas

Schimd, Yeojin Shin, Kyle Strope

Animation: Olivia Blanc, Tim Beckhart, Chad Colby, Jaedoo Lee,  Fede

Reano,Thomas Schmid, Kyle Strope, Carly Senora, Meng-Chwen Joy Tien,

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