Greenies scored dogs' IQ with a cups-and-kibble test — lower score, bigger discount

The Mars Petcare-owned dental treat brand wanted owners to see GREENIES as the treat that is good for them — so it leaned into the joke that dogs don't know what's good for them, and built a campaign moment around measuring exactly that.

A 15-minute home test developed with LSE canine-intelligence researcher Dr Rosalind Arden needs only kibble, three plastic cups, two chairs and a blanket, and measures learning, memory and navigation. Scores unlock GREENIES discounts — the lower the score, the bigger the discount — and are made for sharing. A launch film, bespoke social and GIFs, PR and Instagram influencer outreach by Weber Shandwick drove traffic to the test, animated by James Curran, site built by Barefoot Proximity.

The source records no participation or sales numbers. The mechanic gave owners a bondable, shareable moment with the brand's message built in: whatever the score, the answer is GREENIES.

In October 2020, adam&eveDDB launched Doggy IQ for GREENIES, the Mars Petcare dental treat brand: an interactive test inviting owners to measure their dog's learning ability, memory and navigational skills. Depending on the score, owners were offered money off their next purchase — and the lower the dog scored, the bigger the discount.

The test was developed with Dr Rosalind Arden, a canine intelligence researcher at the London School of Economics with a PhD in behavioural genetics. It takes about 15 minutes and requires only a handful of kibble, three plastic cups, two chairs, one blanket — and a dog. The design deliberately carries a Silicon Valley start-up vibe in soft pastels so the science feels playful rather than clinical.

Mars Petcare VP of marketing Craig Neely framed the joke: dogs make bad decisions — 'like thinking your socks are a chew toy' — so owners are rewarded for theirs. The launch was backed by a film, social and GIFs, PR and influencer outreach, with owners encouraged to post their results whatever the score.

Arden said: 'I've been working for several years on the subject of canine intelligence. I'm so excited to see it in the real world.' The source records no participation figures.

The discount ladder embodies the campaign line: dogs don't know what's good for them, so their owners get rewarded for it.

Scientific credentials — an LSE behavioural-genetics researcher designed the tasks — make a promotion feel like an event, not a coupon.

The output is inherently social: a dog's IQ score is made to be posted, carrying the campaign beyond paid media.

Promotions usually reward the best customers; inverting the prize — rewarding the 'worst' score — turns every result into a reason to buy while making the test itself the entertainment.

The test launched in October 2020 backed by film, social, PR and influencer activity; the source records no follow-up results.