In France, more than a million dogs don’t go to their annual visits to the vet, meaning that they are at risk of having a disease that goes undiagnosed. As a passionate supporter of animals, Purina wanted to change that. If the dog doesn’t go to the vet, then the vet “comes” to the furry pet. Helped by McCann Paris, the brand took advantage of the dogs’ natural behavior of peeing on the streets and launched a campaign to show pet owners how important their animals’ annual checkup is.

During this week’s #ThrowBrandThursday, we are reminding you of the “Street Vet” OOH campaign, an interactive panel that only a dog’s pee could activate. Billboards became smarter and smarter, reacting to meteorologic conditions, motion, and touch. And now, they are responsive to pee.

Ads that react to pee are nothing new: A couple of years ago, Ikea launched the “Pee Ad,” a promo material that asked ladies to pee on it to get discount points for furniture. The new price popped-up only in the case of a positive pregnancy result, meaning the new moms-to-be received their congratulations from the Swedish furniture manufacturer in the form of discount points. But leaving the advertising part aside, the campaign really worked as a fun way to find out if you’re really pregnant.

In the case of Purina’s campaign, a dog’s pee unlocks their health status. The billboard was equipped with pheromones, which lured dogs into doing their business on it. Plus, a pole placed on the street is simply irresistible to any dog.

The panel was placed in dog-friendly areas. When the urine was collected, it was immediately sent to a sterile environment to be analyzed for 30 seconds. Then, the “virtual vets” expressed the “test” results: From a sample of urine, the panel could detect up to four health problems, such as potential signs of diabetes, kidney failure, urinary infection, or dietary imbalance. Based on the findings, the billboard suggested a Purina ProPlan product, as many of the dogs’ conditions can be improved with proper nutritional therapy. Plus, it also encouraged dog owners to download the test results and consult with a vet.

In addition to being applauded by numerous festivals in the industry, the campaign reached its goal, that of making dog owners understand the importance of taking their pets to their annual visit at the vet. People listened to the advice given by the interactive panel and acted immediately in favor of their pet. After 2,500 health checks made with the help of the billboard, 74% of owners were convinced to visit the vet on a regular basis.

Credits:

Client: Purina

Agency: McCann Paris

Image: Eurobest