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Name: Pedigree, the third largest dog food brand owned by Mars, is widely associated with heart-warming commercials featuring dogs and puppies. The name “Pedigree” actually comes from the Old French phrase “pie du grue” meaning “crane’s foot,” which alludes to the spreading lines used in genealogical charts. Today, we directly associate the word “pedigree” with ancestral lineage.
Career Highlights: Although Pedigree spent $32 million dollars on advertising in 2007, the company has never before advertised during the Super Bowl…until now. This year, Pedigree will join the other highly publicized marketers such as PepsiCo and Anheuser-Bush with a 30 second spot and will be the first dog food company to do so during the much anticipated event.
Pedigree’s advertising commercials have generally been both funny and tug-at-your-heart poignant. Probably the most memorable ones are around its “Dogs Rule” and most recently its “Adoption Drive” campaigns. Pet adoption promotion is an area where the company spends virtually half of its marketing budget, and we can’t forget Pedigree’s recent full-page newspaper ad after the presidential election asking President-elect Obama to adopt the first family’s dog from a shelter. See ad here.
Offensive Strategy & 2009 Game Plan: It’s rumored that Pedigree’s Super Bowl advertising spot will use the same tactic as Budweiser and other big-brand marketers – HUMOR. Pedigree will continue to push pet adoption through its message using the concept of “what life would be like if the world didn’t have dogs” (created by its advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day). It’s said the spot will feature not-so-typical pets, such as an ostrich giving a mailman a hard time. The underlying message of pet adoption will be the primary message and is an important one for Pedigree during the economic downturn. With home foreclosures on the rise, more and more dogs will end up in shelters and need a loving, caring owner. I have a feeling there could be a new puppy in my near future!
By: Kelly Wilson
