Petz Launches New Site Where Dogs Can Be Online Shoppers Too

Much has been said about facial recognition and artificial intelligence technologies and their use by advertisers to improve the way brands and consumers interact. Human consumers, that is. Using this technology to apply to canine behavior and enable them to choose for themselves, however, is a whole new matter.

Petz has launched a new online service called Pet-Commerce that breaks barriers towards this kind of innovation, simply to delight its customers. The project allows dogs to interact via web: a camera picks up behavioral responses and the AI devices finds out whether they like a particular product, making it easier for tutors to make a buy. The action has been created by Ogilvy Brazil and developed by D2G Tecnologia and Hogarth.

“When Ogilvy came up with this idea, we were amazed because it fits in so well with what we stick up for — that the bond between pet and tutor can happen in many ways. We empathise with those who throw their pets birthday parties, those who talk to their pets; I mean, the truth is that pet love has no bounds and Pet-Commerce just proves the point”, says Sergio Zimerman, CEO at Petz.

Now visitors to the Petz website can see a banner linking to Pet-Commerce. All they have to do is click and let the fun begin. Tutors have to hold their device — computer, tablet, mobile with internet access — over their dog's face so that the camera picks up the response. The AI device is capable of measuring the level of interest in a given product, represented by a dog-bone fill chart.

To make identification possible, the artificial intelligence device was fed with thousands of pictures of dogs. “We picked through dozens of breeds and even dogs of undefined breed. The direct gaze into the camera, the ears pointing towards the camera and the carefree, unsuspecting attitude of not shying away from the device are all signs that the dog enjoyed the play and the product”, says Leonardo Ogata, professional dog trainer that took part in the artificial intelligence testing.  

On the website, products are found according to their category: bones, toys, balls. As customers click on the item, the site shows videos that feature each product. The videos are designed in yellow and blue since, according to Ogata, these are the colors that dogs can see best.

Upon clicking on the site, consumers can find tutorials showing what can be done so that dogs "have a say" in the shopping decision. Tutors, for example, should switch on the volume on their devices since, besides the sense of smell, hearing is essential to dogs. “The dog has to be relaxed, playful — no need to pick them up or hold their head, which can even irritate them; all you have to do is hold the camera right over their face so that it can pick up the responses in the best way”, says the trainer.

Once the dog picks an item, it is pre-selected and placed in a shopping cart. The buy is made at the tutor's confirmation and the filling of all personal information. “With Pet-Commerce, we can both stimulate online sales and prospect new clients”, explains Zimerman. Petz’s CEO points out that Pet-Commerce is exclusive to dogs. There are no studies to date, but someday the project may come to include cats, for example.

Félix del Valle, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Brazil, remembers that the agency has authored important projects that applied artificial intelligence. “We seek to work with campaigns that bring together technology, innovation, and a great idea. This is a natural demand of our clients in virtually every industry. What's new is that we can provide a unique experience to a new ‘shopper’, the dog, something no one has ever done. Pet-Commerce is able not only to bring tutors and dogs closer together but also to generate new business opportunities to our clients, an indispensable feature of any great campaign.”