Pedigree and Colenso BBDO have taken a hilariously blunt approach to adoption by creating a campaign that pairs abandoned dogs with abandoned parents.

The Pedigree Child Replacement Programme aims to connect adoption dogs with parents who find themselves alone after their kids move out.

The integrated campaign drives parents to replacethem.co.nz where they can find the perfect canine substitute for their child, cheekily suggesting, 'When your kids move out, move on'. Parents who adopt can even send in their child's old possessions and Pedigree will turn them into new possessions for their dog.

VIEW HARD TO PLEASE THE SPOT
VIEW THE SCARED SPOT
VIEW THE TREE HOUSE SPOT
VIEW THE BOAT AD
VIEW THE BOOK AD
VIEW THE FIELD AD
LISTEN TO THE DRIBBLE SPOT
LISTEN TO THE VACANT STARE SPOT

Empty Nesters (parents who find themselves living alone) often suffer from a sense of grief and loneliness when their children leave home. The Pedigree Child Replacement Programme gives parents the chance to bring the companionship, admiration, and unconditional love back into their lives just by adopting a dog.

Says Cormac van den Hoofdakker, marketing manager of Pedigree: "A dog can bring so much love, laughter and affection into a house. They bring out the best in you and fill your life with joy, just like kids do, only unlike kids they won't grow up and move to London for work. We really hope we can get more dogs out of shelters and into homes that need them"

Animal shelters around the country are full of dogs needing a home. At the same time, thanks to the country's aging population, more than half of all New Zealanders are living in a household of two or less.

Says Says Ahmad Salim, business director at Colenso BBDO: "All over the country there are parents sitting in quiet houses lamenting how quickly their kids grew up. At the same time there are dogs sitting in shelters longing for homes. We're excited to connect the two."

The Pedigree Child Replacement Programme will target Empty Nesters through TV, digital, radio, press, as well as having a presence at the departure terminal of Auckland's International Airport.

Agency: Colenso BBDO
 
Client: Mars NZ
Marketing Director - Oliver Downs - MARS NZ
Marketing Manager - Pet - Cormac van den Hoofdakker - MARS NZ
Brand Manager - Dog & Specialty - Maria Granados - MARS NZ

Prod/Film Company: Exit Films
Director: Adam Gunser
Sound Design: Franklin Road

Media Agency: Starcom NZ