The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2024
Pedigree's AI turned real shelter dogs into the stars of every ad
AI-generated portraits of adoptable local dogs replaced stock photos, driving a 600% jump in adoptions.
Pedigree (Mars)
the move
About 25% of the world's dogs have no home, yet shelter dogs were being photographed so badly that their portraits reinforced the idea they were damaged or unfit for families. Pedigree had championed adoption for years, but the photos themselves were a barrier.
With Colenso BBDO and Nexus Studios, Pedigree used AI to transform grainy shelter snapshots into polished, emotionally compelling portraits of real, adoptable dogs. Every digital ad was geotargeted to feature a dog available near the viewer, and scanning the ad's QR code opened that dog's profile and shelter location; when a dog was adopted, it was pulled from the campaign and replaced with another.
In the first 12 weeks the shelter partner saw six times the foot traffic, all the dogs were adopted, and the campaign drove a 600% jump in adoptions. It was shortlisted in the Innovation category at Spikes Asia 2025 and went on to win the Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2024.
why it works
- Real local dogs give every impression a concrete outcome.
- Better portraits remove the stereotype that kept dogs unwanted.
- Pulling adopted dogs makes the ads a live proof of success.
- AI serves the brand's purpose, not just reach or efficiency.
what transfers
Use AI to remove the emotional barrier in your customer's decision, not to cut costs - connecting every impression to a real, local outcome makes the campaign itself the proof.
what came after
The 600% adoption spike and sixfold shelter foot traffic persuaded Mars to scale Adoptable to North America, and the work earned D&AD 2025 Pencils across Direct, Digital Marketing, Media and Press & Outdoor plus a Cannes Lions Outdoor Grand Prix.
references
- Adoptable Drove 600% Jump in Dog Adoptions. Mars' Marketer Says It's Proof AI Can Build Brand Purpose
- Adoptable. By Pedigree.
- Spikes Asia reveals its Spikes Innovation 2025 shortlist
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