Pedigree put dogs in a daycare class to show they are not children — ABCDogs

Pedigree Brazil wanted an awareness movement on respecting animals' unique qualities and organisms when feeding them — especially against the habit of feeding dogs human food.

AlmapBBDO took a variety of dogs to a Chicago daycare for the day; the nearly 3-minute film 'ABCDogs' cuts between kids and dogs at the same school, with three offshoot films (Growth, Favorite Food, Smile) where a dog specialist shows students how dogs differ. All live on a Pedigree portal, built with Google's support, pairing the top Google searches on canine nutrition with Mars research, subtitled and planned for other markets.

The project launched as an education platform rather than a one-off ad, designed to reach future dog owners young; the portal aggregated the highest-ranking Google searches on canine nutrition, health and behaviour alongside Mars studies. No viewership or sales figures are given in the source.

In December 2016, AlmapBBDO revealed an experiment for Pedigree Brazil: a variety of dogs spent the day at a Chicago daycare, cared for by the teacher on duty. The goal was to show that although dogs are like humans in many respects, they have special characteristics and need care specific to them — especially in nutrition.

The result is 'ABCDogs', a nearly 3-minute film available at www.abcdogs.com.br, cutting between shots of kids and dogs playing at the same school while the teacher's voiceover describes her students' routine. As the footage rolls, her words apply to both — until the film's warning lands: 'Dogs are like people, but not always.' The campaign tagline: 'PEDIGREE. Feed the good.'

Three offshoot films — ABCDogs Growth, ABCDogs Favorite Food and ABCDogs Smile — have a dog specialist chatting with the daycare students, showing through everyday situations how dogs and kids differ and what nutrition dogs actually need, so children learn early that human food isn't good for animals.

The work lives on a portal created for Pedigree, a Mars brand, with support from Google: key information on canine nutrition, health and behaviour based on the highest-ranking Google searches, plus articles and studies from Mars in Brazil and worldwide. The videos and portal are subtitled, and Pedigree planned to take the project to other markets.

The setup is a controlled joke with a serious payload: the audience first enjoys how similar dogs and kids are, then absorbs exactly where the similarity must stop.

Teaching children — future dog owners — attacks the human-food feeding habit at the age it forms.

Building the content on real top-ranked Google searches means the education answers questions owners are actually asking.

Google's support and a subtitled, exportable portal show the ambition was a repeatable platform, not a single Brazilian film.

To change a feeding habit, teach the next generation the difference first — an experiment that lets the audience reach the conclusion beats a vet's lecture.

The ABCDogs project ran as a Pedigree Brazil awareness platform with plans for other markets; the source records no measurable outcomes.