This campaign for Mars Petcare’s cat snack brand – positioned as roughly the moggy equivalent of Terry’s Chocolate Orange – has quite a sharp sense of humour, but makes a fatal mistake. By buying into the idea shared by around half the population that cats are affectionless Six Dinner Sids that would happily knife their owners in the back for a tasty biscuit, it speaks largely to people who don’t have or want one (either through a committed relationship or, as depicted here, being the cat’s bit on the side).
I also resent the implication that people who don’t have a cat, but would like one, are stony-faced, vindictive schemers. I don’t care if it’s true – you’re an advertiser, you’re meant to inflate my sense of myself, not force me to stare into the void of my own soul.
Brand Dreamies
Client Emily Dowling and Natalia Ball, global brand directors
Title Cat borrowers
Agency Adam & Eve/DDB
.jpg)
.jpeg)
