FCB Media’s News-pee-per wins big with innovative puppy training ad

AUCKLAND, Today: A clever print ad by FCB Media, infused with a dog-friendly scent to aid puppy toilet training, has bagged New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s 2024 Imprint Competition.

Named ‘News-pee-per’ and printed in the NZ Herald with Purina, the ad used a special pheromone to attract dogs. The call to action was simple: place it in your puppy’s toilet spot to encourage proper training!

Imprint judges praised the ad’s creativity and effectiveness. They noted how it cleverly used old newspapers to enhance puppy training, making it a must-have for new puppy owners.

Judges called it a compelling ad that celebrated print, moving beyond awareness into practical use. They admired the effort behind this safe, clever ad for both people and puppies.

James Butcher, NZME Chief Commercial Officer, said the entries this year were impressive, with FCB’s standing out.

“This is the second year of the Imprint Competition at NZME, and it’s been a huge success. It pushes agencies and advertisers to get creative with print. We’re thrilled to award the grand prize to FCB for their innovative campaign with Purina. We’re excited to send them to New York for Advertising Week this October,” he says.

“This is the second year of the Imprint Competition at NZME, and it’s been a huge success.” – James Butcher

Anne Lipsham, FCB Media Chief Strategy Officer, says, “Thanks, NZME! We are thrilled to win! This project was fun and a great blend of media, creativity, and innovation. Turning a print ad into a utility, we helped Purina with puppy training during crucial bonding days. Wish this was around when I was training my puppy!”

Margaret Hawker, NZME Head of Commercial Publishing and Innovation, says, “Print offers a flexible advertising space for innovation and interaction. FCB’s winning ad showcased this brilliantly, reusing the newspaper post-reading to serve a unique purpose. This ad highlighted the unique benefits of print advertising.

“Creative and smart ad placement can turn a newspaper page into a big opportunity for audience connection, product recall, and interaction. Thanks to our expert judges and congrats to FCB for winning against tough competition,” says Hawker.

The Imprint judging panel included top advertising and marketing experts:

• Brad Collett – Chief Creative Officer, Federation
• Mikayla Hopkins – Head of Marketing, Tracksuit
• Simon Hofmann – General Manager, Brand and Marketing, Kiwibank
• Christie Cooper – Creative Director, The Monkeys
• Graham Dolan – Group Creative Director, NZME