Media: Radio
Category: Household, garden & pets
Client: VIVA
Agency: Must Be Loud, Warsaw
Country: Poland
Creative Director: Mateusz Ksiazek
Producer: Anna Bilenska
Managing Director: Marta Samsonov
Insight and Research: Marta Wiktoria Slyz
Music: Marcin Mirowski
Sound Studio: Glosno
Sound Designer: Blazej Kafarski / Darek Podhajski
Voice talents: Anna Apostolakis, Dagmara Bak, Konstancja Dangel, Piotr Makowski, Grzegorz Pawlak, Dominic Chambers and Sean Palmer
Synopsis:
An animal shelter run by a Polish branch of VIVA! International Vegans’ Voice for Animals (Viva! Akcja dla Zwierząt) sets off a campaign that promotes dog adoptions. A series of radio spots written and produced in a style of pharmaceutical commercials show that a dog can be the man’s best friend even in most awkward situations. Getting a dog is advertised as a remedy for hair-loss, snoring, bloating or excessive gas. “Dog is always there for you” reads the claim. The spots replicate the style of pharmaceutical commercials and a popular problem-solution approach. The campaign explores three most common forms of such ads: testimonial, short dialogue and medical condition illustrated with sound. However, just like all pharmaceutical commercials in the country, the spots feature a compulsory “side-effect warning” that directs listeners to the shelter’s site where they can find out more about pet-related responsibilities. The lighthearted spots address a more serious problem. Each year hundreds of pets in Poland are returned or even abandoned after an adoption. Pro-adoption campaigns usually show just positive sides of having a dog. People who get dogs are often not aware of minor and major problems and inconveniences new pupils might cause. The campaign brings some of these to light to make people think twice and to protect animals from being abandoned once again. Dogs that are given up to a shelter by their would-be owners suffer a long trauma that significantly reduces their chances for another adoption. Obviously we don’t want to scare people away, and we already noticed that the number of shelter and site visits has risen since the beginning of the campaign - says Irena Kowalczyk, Fundraiser at Korabiewice shelter. Just keep in mind that the hair on the sofa, strange smells, snoring and many, many more smaller or bigger issues will be a part of your daily life, if you get a dog. People should get to know it before, not after the adoption. The campaign is a non-profit initiative by a creative agency Must Be Loud and Studio Glosno. Music was written and performed by a film and theatre composer - Marcin Mirowski. Spots feature a plethora of leading voice artists who often perform in genuine pharmaceutical commercials. Spots will run until July, as spring and summer is a hot season for pet adoptions but also for unfortunate returns and abandonments. The airtime was donated by major nationwide stations: Radio Zet, Meloradio and TOK FM.