Pet campaign reaps PR gold

Can you resist a talking dog who wants a pet kitten as a pal?

Maybe, but we at Ragan can’t help yelping our approval for a campaign by The Impetus Agency on behalf of the American Pet Products Association.

“Pets Add Life” is one of those campaigns where a good cause meets a business need, creating PR gold. That’s why it wins top honors in the Best Viral or Word of Mouth Campaign category of the 2013 PR Daily Awards. Pets that need adopting benefit, and, naturally, owners are going to be buying more leashes, travel carriers, and cat food.

The American Pet Products Association’s nonprofit campaign sought to increase pet ownership and get more pets in people’s hands through the use of multiple social media platforms, among them YouTube and Facebook. 

It got its audience and fans excited about pets and sharing theirs with one another, aligning the campaign with adoption shelters and organizations. And it encouraged people to think about their next pet “whether it be furry, winged, or scaly,” although, frankly, the dog didn’t seem too excited about a pet snake.

The campaign teamed with celebrity and online ambassadors, among them Lauren Conrad, Alison Sweeney, and Victoria Stilwell, to spread PAL’s message to targeted audiences. 

The result was a tail-wagging success. While aiming for 50,000 YouTube video series views, they earned nearly 2.9 million. They sought 100 million brand impressions but swept in 177 million, along with 3,610,789 engagements—18 times the campaign’s goal.

Find out more about Pets Add Life here.

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