TORONTO, CANADA — The owners of a local pet store, Timmie Pet Supplies, noticed more and more dog poop being left behind all over the city. Dog owners simply weren’t picking up after their pets. Knowing that the surge of pet adoptions during the pandemic may have led to some inexperienced dog owners in Toronto, the team at Timmie wanted to lend a hand.
“Who better to help out with a TO problem than a locally-owned Toronto pet store?” said Paul Ryu, Co-founder and owner of Timmie.
it wasn’t an easy fix. To alleviate the problem, they had to connect with dog owners without pointing fingers or putting people on the defensive.
“We wanted to have some empathy for dog owners,” said Wain Choi, Founder of BLKW, the Toronto-based agency that partnered with Timmie for this project. “It’s easy to run out of dog poop bags or forget them. We’ve all been there.”
The team put up Found Poop signs all over the city. These posters not only provide a fun, friendly reminder to pick up after your dog, but they also give you a free poop bag in case you don’t have one.
“Since we’re in the spirit of helping out, maybe other dog owners can help out too if nobody comes forward to claim this found poop,” said Paul. “Fingers and paws crossed that we can keep Toronto looking beautiful and have No Poop Left Behind.”
Timmie Pet Supplies & Grooming was founded by Paul Ryu and Georges Khayat in 2006. Graphic designers by trade, the pair were inspired to open “the ultimate pooch-tique experience” by their fetching, four-legged friend, Timmie. They’ve since expanded to providing supplies and services for both cats and dogs with three locations across Toronto.
CREDITS
Client: Timmie / Paul Ryu, Georges Khayat
Title: Found Poop
Agency: BLKW
Chief Creative Officer: Wain Choi
Strategic Planner: Tim Hopkins
Art Director: Wain Choi
Copywriter: Gerald Kugler
Designer: Georges Khayat
Editor: School Edit / Taylor Mcwade
