LONDON, UK – Mars Petcare-owned brand SHEBA® is reaching out to cat owners whose felines awaken them from slumber in the early hours with a new campaign created by AMV BBDO.
‘SHEBA® 4am Stories’ aims to connect with cat parents on social media and encourage them to trial SHEBA® Perfect Portions. Activity includes a podcast, social and influencer activity, a competition and a partnership with Buzzfeed.
Cat owners are all too familiar with being woken from a deep sleep in the early hours by everything from a gentle paw tap or a claw in the lip to being smothered as kitty decides a human face is an ideal pillow. The idea behind the SHEBA® Presents the 4am Stories Podcast podcast, which is hosted by Spotify, is to help owners drift gently back to sleep thanks to a story performed by Doctor Dillon, AKA folk musician Steve Dan Mills.
The podcast launch is backed by a PR campaign, influencer activity and paid media on Instagram, including irreverent branded stickers. Cat owners are being encouraged to share their own 4am stories on Instagram in a competition to win a year’s supply of SHEBA®.
The Buzzfeed element of the campaign will help owners understand cat behaviour including the fact that, as crepuscular creatures, cats are most active at dawn and dusk. This means that the 4am wake-up call isn’t an act of spite – it’s because cats are naturally awake and ready to start hunting and all they really want is their next portion of SHEBA®.
Fernando Silva, Brand Director at Mars Petcare, said: “What I love about this campaign is that AMV BBDO uncovered a powerful and truly universal cat insight. All cat parents know (and suffer) the crepuscular instinct of their feline friends, what they didn’t realize is that all their cats wanted was SHEBA®! In a genius twist, SHEBA® will graciously help you go back to sleep. Can’t wait to hear how cat parents contribute to this idea.”
Jay Phillips, Creative Director at AMV BBDO, said: “Yes, our cats are lovable and gorgeous, but they don’t come without their challenges. Sadly SHEBA® can’t retrieve that dead mouse from your slipper for you but with this campaign we’re at least making the pain of interrupted sleep a little more bearable.”
The campaign breaks on November 2 and runs for six weeks. Media is through Mediacom.
Credits
Client: Fernando Silva – Brand Director; Liz Franks – Brand Manager
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO + BBDO NEW YORK
Creative Director: Jay Phillips / Neil Clarke
Copywriter: Zak Loney
Art Director: Zak Loney
Agency Planner: Emily Brydon, Brian Williamson
Agency Account Team: Matt Henry, Ella Fanshawe
Agency Producer: Michelle Walton
Media Agency: Mediacom
