WHO LET THE SHELTER DOGS OUT

TitleWHO LET THE SHELTER DOGS OUT
BrandTHE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION
Product/ServiceHELPING SHELTER DOGS GET ADOPTED
Category D04. Live Advertising & Events
Entrant DE VLOER Antwerp, BELGIUM
Idea Creation DE VLOER Antwerp, BELGIUM
Credits
Name Company Position
Emily Michiels De Vloer Creative Copywriter
Jan Nagels De Vloer Creative Art Director
Koen Van Deun De Vloer Creative Direction
Lotte Eeckhout De Vloer Account Manager
Johan Roelandt De Vloer Creative Direction
Vitaliy Kyiaiev De Vloer Graphic Designer
Aline Huls De Vloer Account Director

Write a short summary of what happens in the ambient or digital execution or campaign.

We took shelter dogs to the Dodentocht, Belgium’s famous annual 100km hike event and set up "camp" five kilometers before the finish line. We offered exhausted hikers who passed our stand extra support for the last miles, in the form of four extra legs: our shelter dogs. A win-win situation, since the dog motivated the walker with its energy and enthusiasm showing just how much love and support a shelter dog can give. The dogs themselves got a great walk and at the same time promoted the cause of shelter dogs through their outfit and subsequent media attention.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

1. In Belgium animal shelters still have immense difficulties in finding new owners for their animals. An untenable and more importantly avoidable situation, as most animals are perceived as flawed or inferior animals even though they’re perfectly suitable as pets. We needed to convince a larger public that shelter animals give more love, not less. 2. Every year the city of Bornem in Belgium organises its famous Dodentocht ("March of the Dead"), a 100 kilometer march that participants have to complete in under 24 hours. This year, 13.000 hikers started walking the challenging 100 kilometers at 9 PM, of which only 8.000 made it to the finish line the next day. A lot of participants even collapse at the finish line, or start vomiting because of all the effort they put in.