2012 Gold Public sector and charity

Client Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

How did the campaign make a difference? Presenting Staffordshire Bull Terriers and crosses as loving pets increased these dogs’ opportunity for a second chance in life. This activity increased rehoming numbers and stimulated national engagement, with a 49% increase in Staffie web enquiries and an average 20% increase in rehoming during the first phase of the campaign.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? In recent times the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has attracted negative media attention and been targeted as a dangerous breed. Little wonder that 37% of Battersea’s 2011 intake were Staffies or crosses. This campaign uncovered the Staffie’s loyal and loving nature and actively encouraged their rehoming from Battersea Dogs & Cats Homes. It drew on the insight that it’s not the dog that’s the problem, but irresponsible owners, and reached out to prospective responsible owners among key target groups, via door drops and targeted advertising within Battersea’s three catchment areas. The campaign also sought to influence changes in legislation, with a PR push on the issue of Staffies being bred, sold and trained as status dogs. Social media identified that the focus for 2012 should be high dog-owning groups – notably empty nesters, older families and the gay community.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? You’d expect to find a real dog on a lead in the street or the park, but this one’s different; it’s the knitted article. This campaign tapped into the growing passion for knitting; Battersea’s loyal army of dog-loving knitterati made their own woolly Staffie replicas, many of which were incorporated into the campaign at high-profile dog shows like Crufts. The campaign theme They're softer than you think was also designed to appeal to young families. The campaign called on the Government to bring forward legislation focusing on what a dog’s actually done and not what breed it is. Questions were raised in the House of Commons, with one MP using campaign collateral as a prompt to the Minister, gaining his support on the floor of the House.

Results The aim was to get more Staffies rehomed – and the first phase saw a 10% increase at the Battersea site and a 30% increase at the Windsor site, plus a 49% increase in Staffie web enquiries. The halo effect of the creative, supercharged by PR, vastly exceeded expectations, with 21% national awareness for a London-only media spend of just £140,000. Positive PR resulted in 50 Staffie enthusiasts prepared to champion the breed as real-life case studies in the press, 20 MPs and London Assembly members actively promoting the campaign, and 95 positive media pieces.

Team James North - Copywriter, Dan Douglass - Executive Creative Director, Terry O'Neil - Art Director, Tim Molan - Senior Account Manager, Katy Nyman - Group Account Director, Charles Townsend - Artworker, Dylan Collard - Photographer, Sam Bone - Senior Copywriter