Petz let dogs shop its online store with their faces and an AI algorithm

Petz, one of Brazil's biggest pet retailers, asked its agency to put shopping decisions in the paws of dogs — an online platform letting them choose which products they want to play with.

A dog looks at a webcam and an AI reads gaze, ears and attitude — products the dog likes go straight to the owner's Petz basket.

Ogilvy Brazil created the technology with D2G Tecnologia and Hogarth, loading the algorithm with thousands of dog pictures; professional dog trainer Leonardo Ogata helped define the signals — direct gaze into the camera, ears pointing towards it, the carefree attitude of not shying away from the device.

A working new e-commerce service: a banner on the Petz site launches Pet-Commerce, owners hold the device over their dog's face and the AI measures the dog's interest in each product; the work took a Cannes Lion, plus Effie Brasil and London International Awards among others.

Turning dogs into consumers was, by Hogarth Brazil's own account, one of the most unique requests it had ever received. Petz, one of Brazil's biggest pet retailers, wanted to put shopping decisions in the paws of dogs with Pet-Commerce: an online platform letting dogs decide which products they want to play with and select them for their owners' baskets.

The team used behavioural technology — facial recognition and artificial intelligence — to create something never seen before: dogs able to shop online. The technology was created by Ogilvy Brazil and developed by D2G Tecnologia and Hogarth, with the algorithm loaded with thousands of pictures of dogs.

Professional dog trainer Leonardo Ogata helped define what enjoyment looks like: 'direct gaze into the camera, their ears pointing towards the camera, and the carefree, unsuspecting attitude of not shying away from the device — these are all signs that a dog enjoyed the product.' On the Petz website, visitors click a banner, hold the device over their dog's face, and the AI measures the dog's level of interest in each product.

Petz CEO Sergio Zimerman said the idea fit the company's stance that the bond between pet and owner can happen in many ways: 'pet love has no bounds and Pet-Commerce just proves that point.' The work went on to win a Cannes Lion, three Effie Awards Brasil, three London International Awards, two Wave Festival Brasil awards and one Wired Festival Creativex.

Pet brands talked to owners about pets; Pet-Commerce made the pet the user, which no competitor's e-commerce could claim.

The behavioural signals were grounded in dog-trainer expertise, so 'the dog liked it' had a defined, repeatable meaning.

A webcam and an algorithm were all owners needed — no new hardware stood between the idea and trying it.

It dramatised Petz's brand position — pet love has no bounds — as a functioning service rather than a slogan.

The bond between pet and owner is a real commercial force — build for the animal's behaviour, not just the human's wallet, and the loyalty follows.

Pet-Commerce went live as a banner-launched service on the Petz website in 2020 and collected a Cannes Lion along with Effie Brasil, London International Awards, Wave Festival and Wired Festival Creativex wins, standing as an early case of AI-mediated interaction designed for animals rather than their owners.