MBM & TBWA\ pause for paws

AUCKLAND, Wednesday: Media agency MBM & creative shop TBWA\ have launched a Pet Paw-casts campaign for Southern Cross Pet Insurance to drive awareness of the dangers of summer temperatures for our furry friends.

A growing issue seen in vet clinics across Aotearoa is heat exhaustion-related issues such as heat stroke, dehydration and burnt paws caused by pet owners walking their dogs in the middle of the day.

Southern Cross Pet Insurance national sales manager (and registered vet nurse) Kerri Murray says people need to be extra mindful when walking dogs over the summer season.

“On a warm, sunny day ground temperatures can easily reach double that of the air temperature,” she said.

“Walking your dog in the heat of the day on pavement or sand can easily burn their paws. If it’s too hot for the back of your hand, it’s too hot for your pet.”

“If it’s too hot for the back of your hand, it’s too hot for your pet.”

MBM business director Sian Kitchen said: “We looked into this interesting safety tip from Kerri and discovered it was unfortunately a little-known danger to many pet owners.

“Most people are not very conscious of pavement temperatures and the implications it can have on their pets’ poor paws.

“This sparked a brilliant idea – what better way to reflect the brand values of Southern Cross of helping pets to live their best lives than by educating dog owners across the country about when it is safe to walk outside?”

Southern Cross has partnered with MBM & Lumo to activate temperature triggered dynamic messaging which predicts pavement temperatures across the country.

Using digital billboards, pet owners will get a heads up when they should keep their pets cool, or when it’s ok to go for a walk during the day.

“Southern Cross partnered with MBM & Lumo to activate temperature-triggered dynamic messaging which predicts pavement temperatures.”

Open Weather forecast data is accessed in real-time, and a specially developed algorithm then calculates the approximate pavement temperature based on the air temperature across the day and accompanying analysis into corresponding tarseal and sand temperatures.

The billboards will display when the temperature is below 21°C, or too hot  (when it’s above 21°C).

Waterfront areas can be particularly concerning as dogs are often on short leads and there’s little shade. That’s why the campaign is focusing on summer waterfront hot spots, like Tamaki Drive in Auckland, Oriental Bay in Wellington, and Sumner Promenade in Christchurch, with social media posts geo-targeted to these locations.

The unique algorithm is also used to drive dynamic audio across iHeart radio. This allows Southern Cross to deliver “Pet-pawcasts” to dog walkers while they are out and about and listening to iHeart radiobased on their specific location.

Sian Kitchen said: “The team is really stoked to see this campaign go live. It’s a creative media solution which utilises custom technology to bring an important social message to the market, while positioning the client’s brand as the experts in pet health and wellness.”

No creative credits
TBWA\ credits were not supplied.

• More here: southerncrosspet.co.nz/pet-hub/summersafety

CREDITS

Head of Marketing SCPI: Bridgette Muir
Marketing Manager SCPI: Kristen Gernandt
Client Service Director: Jono Sorensen
Group Business Director: Julia Evans
Business Director: Sian Kitchen
Business Manager: Marika Allen-Jennings
Senior Digital Manager: Wendel Bowman
Digital Director: Gary Joseph
Creative agency: TBWA\
Media partner: Lumo

About MBM
MBM (McCready Bale Media) was founded in 2010 by Sean McCready and Matt Bale, and became a large independent media agency with over 80 staff in its Auckland and Wellington offices.

Now part of Publicis Groupe and with over 110 staff, MBM’s services include strategy, media planning and buying, measurement and analytics consulting, search and SEO, social media management, plus content strategy and production.

• mbm.net.nz