Pedigree Remarkably Flips the Script in Its Latest Pet Adoption Ad

They press their faces against metal bars, pawing at the doors of their cages, straining to attract a visitor's attention, hoping to be chosen for a warm, loving forever home. That's the basic setup of "Pick Me," BBDO New York's latest pet-adoption spot for Pedigree. Yes, the visuals are designed to play on our emotions, but this isn't your typical category tearjerker scene, as you'll discover by checking out the video below: [kickout id="1"] That's right, humans are the ones in cages here, vying for a dog's attention. It's part of the Mars pet food brand's ongoing "Feed the Good" initiative, which has produced some compelling work through years. This effort surely ranks among the campaign's most memorable outings, subverting and inverting expectations to cast familiar themes in a fresh light. "When talking about pet adoption, it's common for people to experience an immediate bond and to even say that their dog 'picked them,' or that their dog 'saved them' as much as they saved their dog," Pedigree brand manager Melodie Bolin tells AdFreak. "We wanted to take that feeling and bring it to life in a way that flipped the typical adoption story on its head, showing how a dog can save a person as much as that person can save a dog." Playing it straight—within the context of the topsy-turvy premise—gives the spot considerable power. Having people act like dogs—whining or clawing frantically at their environs—would've seemed silly. Instead, the folks behave normally. Trapped in cages of malaise, they watch (or ignore) various digital screens, yearning for a release to deeper, more meaningful connections. "The biggest challenge we faced throughout the entire process was striking the right tonal balance," says agency senior creative director Greg Gerstner. "We knew that by using an unexpected, and intentionally uncomfortable, visual of human beings in cages, we would immediately create a certain sense of darkness. It's that darkness that makes this film provocative. But we knew that if we went too dark, it wouldn't really fit the brand. So we pushed the look of the set, art direction, and film right to the limit." The ad was made on a set resembling a typical animal shelter, and the actors were filmed together for the wide/panning shots to make the fantastical concept play out as believably as possible. "The final piece was ensuring that we captured authentic and subtle performances from our actors," Gerstner says. "People, like dogs, are different. So, when directing the talent in each cage, we wanted to see a completely different type of person with different characteristics, behavioral patterns and personality." Overall, it's a bold, well-realized conceit, and it should stand up to repeat viewings because the whole scenario, from the opening shot, provides a "twist," rather than springing its surprise at the end. Also, the details ring true, as the production team discovered during filming. "Throughout the day, just looking around the set, you saw everyone was glued to their phone or laptop any chance they got," recalls agency creative director Banks Noel. "What we noticed most prevalently, though, was that as soon as the dog walked into the room, people had a tendency to instantly look up with smiles and want to engage with the dog and with each other. It was a nice reassurance for us while filming that we were sending the right message to consumers." CREDITS Pedigree – Pick Me Agency – BBDO New York Client – Mars/Pedigree Chief Creative Officer BBDO Worldwide – David Lubars Chief Creative Officer BBDO New York – Greg Hahn Executive Creative Director – Greg Ketchum Executive Creative Director – Tom Godici Senior Creative Director, Copywriter – Greg Gerstner Creative Director, Art Director – Banks Noel Head Of Integrated Production – Dave Rolfe Executive Producer – Diane Hill Director of Music & Sound – Rani Vaz Senior Account Director – Sally Nathans Account Director – Elizabeth Kelberg Account Executive – Michael Miles Group Planning Director – Annermarie Norris Communications Planning Director – Sean Stogner Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks Director: Aaron Stoller Managing Director: Shawn Lacy Executive Producer: Holly Vega Head of Production: Mercedes Allen-Sarria + Rachel Glaub Producer: Adrianne McCurrach Director of Photography: Peter Deming Editor – Ben Jordan, Work Editorial Audio Mix – Evan Mangiamele, Heard City Composer – Robert Miller, Screen Sound Alliance Sound Design – Morgan Johnson, Barking Owl Sound Telecine Artist – Tom Poole, Company 3 Conform Artist – Mikey Smith, The Mill

AdFreak

Pedigree Remarkably Flips the Script in Its Latest Pet Adoption Ad

Longing to get out of the cage

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio