Winner: Weber Shandwick & Mars Petcare - Mix Mania
Wet dog food comes with some extremely powerful barriers for consumers. It's gross-looking. It smells kind of bad. It's expensive. There's something called "back-end concerns" that we won't get into. You get the picture.
Converting pup parents entirely from dry kibble to wet food didn't make sense from a business perspective. But there was something that the most doting doggy moms and dads were already doing at dinnertime that led to a breakthrough: They were adding a little something extra—chicken broth, green beans, shredded cheese—to make their pets happy.
Weber Shandwick & Mars Petcare didn't need anyone to switch to wet food; they needed them to mix it in. And the consumers' motivation would be purely emotional. They would do it for the heart-melting, giggle-inducing furry freakout they were sure to get from their pet: That freakout is known as #MixMania.
Anchored by long-form and short-form video content capturing crazed canine joy, the campaign encompasses an interactive content hub, campaign-specific social channels, paid media, influencer engagement, original social content, a regional print ad, retail social and digital support and, of course, tons of earned media.
The campaign’s assets centered on the freakout face that ensues when dogs discover wet food mixed in with their normal dry kibble. Long-and short-form videos led the content, and were brought to life through an engaging online hub at MixMania.dog that serves as a one-stop-shop for consumer interaction, with delicious recipes, "PAWsome" content and a remix station where users can share their dog’s freakout video and have it remixed with a comical voiceover from Kristin Chenoweth.
Consumers are also encouraged to engage with the campaign by sharing their doggie freakout photos and videos using the #MixMania hashtag with the chance to win custom "Wag Swag" like surfboards, skateboards, playing cards and more, all with their dog’s face featured prominently.
Honorable Mentions:
- Cisco 2016 Brand Campaign
- Lynn University
- Raytheon Safer World Campaign
- R&R Partners - Vegas VR Worldwide