In 2008, the PEDIGREE Foundation was established by Mars Petcare & PEDIGREE to drive dog adoption. Since then, they have made it their goal to end pet homelessness by 2050, ensuring every dog finds their forever home. ​

However dog homelessness has continued to grow, with 12 million dogs currently sitting and waiting in shelters around the world. With a problem so huge, making another ad about adoption wasn’t enough. Instead, we made every ad Adoptable. ​

Partnering with Nexus Studios, we’ve developed a bespoke AI system that can transform a single image of a shelter dog into studio quality photography. This 'glow up' image is then mapped to a CGI rig, allowing the photo-real double to be positioned in any pose to suit any piece of PEDIGREE creative. ​ ​ Adoptable places local shelter dogs into the ads you see, and when that dog is adopted it’s instantly dropped out of media rotation. Using geographic and 1PD data such as proximity to parks or average household size, the shelter dogs were shown in media placements with proximity to their shelter but also suitability to audience and area. ​

Audience data was also used to create dynamic copy with specific messaging relating to location, time of day and interests of the consumer. For example, commuters on at the end of the day say digital posters featuring a shelter dog with the headline, “Going home? Can I come?”. Each ad’s QR code took the viewer to a personalised landing page where they could learn more about the dog they just saw, and arrange to meet them. ​

Now every digital outdoor ad PEDIGREE runs – from brand to retail – is also an ad for a shelter dog. Allowing 100% of PEDIGREE’s media budget to not only bring their products to the world, but take shelter dogs to the world, too.​ ​ We’ve seen a significant uplift in the likelihood of adoption for dogs who have featured in an Adoptable asset, versus their original picture taken by a shelter. ​

Shelter site visits: 6x increase in traffic and profile views for featured dogs​

4.5 x longer dwell time on the dog’s profile once on the site​

50% of featured dogs adopted in first two weeks​

12% more likely to adopt when the adopter comes into the shelter site via an Adoptable asset​