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A giant, two-story-tall dog balloon got stuck between buildings en route to the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade this week, stopping passersby in their tracks.
However, despite appearances, this larger-than-life balloon got stuck on purpose – and isn’t an official entry to Chicago’s parade. Mars Inc.’s Iams pet food brand created the stunt to highlight the importance of ensuring pets maintain a healthy weight.
According to a 2022 Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey, 59% of U.S. dogs are overweight, but most dog parents don’t realize it.
Iams and agency adam&eveDDB are drawing attention to this issue during the busy holiday season, when “the health and wellbeing of family and loved ones is top of mind, and this often includes our pets,” Jean-Paul Jansen, chief marketing officer of Mars Pet Nutrition North America, told ADWEEK.
Iams and the agency modeled their dog balloon after Waylon, a real dog who was eight pounds overweight but has become fitter and more energetic through use of Iams’ Healthy Weight Dog Hub and its healthy weight formula dry dog food.
The parade stunt included onsite QR codes that directed consumers to Iams’ dog hub, where they can assess their pet’s body condition, calculate appropriate food serving sizes, and get tips for exercising together. The page also promotes the Petconnect by Iams service, which offers advice from veterinary technicians and nutrition advisors.
“It’s one of the most pressing issues in pet health and we knew we needed a big, bold approach to capture its deserved attention and serve as a catalyst for change,” Jansen said. “Through Waylon’s heartwarming story, we aim to inspire pet parents across the country to act.”
Iams isn’t the first brand to spotlight pet health during the holiday season. VMLY&R’s Red Fuse Communications created an animated spot for Hill’s Pet Nutrition warning against overfeeding that aired during the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Broadcast on NBC. And in 2022, The Farmer’s Dog used a New Year’s resolution-themed campaign to encourage building healthy habits with your pup.
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CREDITS
Client: Iams
Chief marketing officer, Mars Pet Nutrition North America: Jean-Paul Jansen
Global brand vice president, Iams: Edwin Padilla
VP, Iams North America: Fawad Farrukh
Associate brand director, Iams North America: Matt Darcy
Marketing manager, Iams Global: Olivia Chlasta
Digital ecosystem manager, Iams North America: Rachel Dawson
Brand manager, Iams Global: Paul Kendall
Senior director, external affairs, Mars Pet Nutrition North America: Lindsay Kordik
Brand communications manager, Mars Pet Nutrition North America: Wes Bottoms
Digital ecosystem coordinator: Bella Byrd
CRM coordinator: Andrea Migliore
Digital merchandising & operations specialist: Coleen Ducey
DVM, Mars Petcare: Heidi Parrish
Agency: adam&eveDDB
CCO: Richard Brim
ECDs: Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland
CD: Paul Knott
CD: Molly Wilkof
Creatives: Ben Robinson and Mike Whiteside
Social director: Phoebe Wright
Social creative: Judith Talkens
Head of production: Sally Pritchett
Head of print production and experiential: Jaki Jo Hannan
Producer: Joel Wilson
Social producer: Brooke Lagana
Assistant producer: Amy Galvin
Planning director: Stuart Williams
Planning director: Catherine Willoughby
Senior planner: Kit Owens
Senior planner: Zayem McTear
Chief executive officer: Miranda Hipwell
Managing partner: Charlotte Cook
Business director: Stephanie Taylor
Account director: Sarah Hill
Account manager: Lauren Dixon
Project director: Rasha Noronha
Senior project manager: Becky Faloju
Senior legal counsel: Tom Campbell
PR: Ketchum
Client director: Seagren Crous
Account lead: Julie Nunes
Earned media lead: Alex Demers
Influencer lead: Sarah Vates
Social lead: Blau Ramos
Entertainment lead: Danielle Hallas
Balloon designer: Jennifer Palmer
Production company: Biscuit Filmworks
Experiential director: Glue Society
Service company: Biscuit Filmworks US
Editing (offline & online) company: Absolute Post, London (Waylon’s Journey, Health Tips)
Executive producer: Belinda Grew
Junior producer: Dannica Green
Editor: Tom Higgins
Edit Assist: Christy Brooks
Colorist: Pete Oppersdorff
2D: Tom Higgins
Editing (offline & online) Company: Cutters, Chicago (Launch Films/CBS Package)
Soundtrack Name: Minneapolis Bump by Southside Aces
Audio postproduction: 750mph
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer for Adweek.
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.