The SPCA Launches “A Dog Is A Dog, A Cat Is A Cat” Campaign
Creative initiative raises awareness of pets’ lovability regardless of breed
(Hong Kong, 25 January 2024) The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) (“SPCA,”) is pleased to present “A Dog Is A Dog, A Cat Is A Cat” advertising campaign created in collaboration with Dentsu Creative Hong Kong office. This campaign aims to raise awareness of pets' inherent lovability, irrespective of their breeds – pure or mixed – and encourages everyone to adopt and not shop for new pets.
With pet ownership on the rise in Hong Kong, pets have become integral members of countless families. However, many pet owners in Hong Kong tend to prefer young, small, and pedigree pets, with many following popular trends for specific breeds and opting to buy due to high demand. Consequently, mixed domestic breeds are often overlooked for adoption. As an example, mongrels, also known as mutts, are stereotyped in the city as guard dogs or strays, rather than recognised as affectionate and loyal companions or members of the family.
As a pro bono campaign developed by a team of animal lovers at Dentsu Creative, "A Dog Is A Dog, A Cat Is A Cat" celebrates the qualities of mongrels and mixed-breed animals and emphasises that breeds do not define an animal's capability to love and be loved. It adopts captivating visuals and relatable stories that draw comparisons between mixed breeds and pedigrees, and highlights the potential of the former as the most devoted and cherished companions, just like their purebred counterparts.
The campaign was launched in January 2024 featuring print, outdoor, and digital advertisements, generously supported by various advertising partners.
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| Caption: OOH at Citywalk 2 |
Caption: OOH at Star Ferry Tsim Sha Tsui Pier |
Fiona Cumming, Executive Director of the SPCA, said, “The adoption rate in Hong Kong is currently at an all-time low, and shelters are struggling with capacity issues. There are over 400 animals seeking homes across our adoption centres and the majority of them being mongrels. We are immensely grateful for the support of Dentsu Creative in our latest campaign, which aims to inspire potential pet owners to consider these equally lovable animals when welcoming a member into their families. We hope people will always support the 'Adopt, Don't Shop' initiative when selecting a pet.”
“In Hong Kong, pet ownership is often about the image rather than companionship. A purebred trophy to showoff rather than a best friend to grow old with. With ‘A Dog Is A Dog, A Cat Is A Cat’, we want potential pet owners to get away from ‘love at first sight’ and instead choose pets that are completely unique in their own way, and just as loveable. As a team of pet lovers, we’re rooting for the ‘underdog’ mongrels who are still looking for their forever homes,” said Ken Lo, Creative Director of Dentsu Creative.
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