NOISE CANCELLING KENNEL

TitleNOISE CANCELLING KENNEL
BrandFORD OF EUROPE
Product/ServiceNOISE CANCELLING KENNEL
Category D01. Animal Health
Entrant GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Placement GTB London, UNITED KINGDOM
PR FORD OF EUROPE London, UNITED KINGDOM
Production ESPADAYSANTACRUZ STUDIO Madrid, SPAIN
Credits
Name Company Position
Julian Watt GTB Chief Creative Officer
Lazaros Nikiforidis GTB Executive Creative Director
Bryn Attewell GTB Creative Group Head
Alexandru Vasile GTB Associate Creative Director
Marcos Almirante GTB Associate Creative Director
Yan Cucco GTB Art Director
Ben Williams GTB Copywriter
Dan Griffiths GTB Art Director

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Everyone loves New Year’s Eve. Except dogs. People don’t realize the loud noises have a deep emotional impact on dogs. To launch Ford’s cutting-edge Active Noise Control, we created the Noise Cancelling Kennel, an everyday object, that draws attention on an everyday problem. The Noise-Cancelling Kennel became instant news. Launched on New Year’s Eve, the noisiest fireworks celebration, it sparked conversation on TV shows, newspapers and social media about the importance of protecting dogs from fireworks noise.

Background

To shine light on dogs’ fear of loud noises, we took the technology out of the car and put it into an everyday object, to shine light on this everyday problem. According to Graeme Hall, a world-famous dog trainer, more than 50% of dogs show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. So, we created the Ford Noise Cancelling Kennel. Using the same technology as the Ford Edge, making this problem a hot subject around NYE. Alongside the actual prototype, we also created assets to support the press release, which included a 1-minute film that also featured dog experts and owners, together with photos of the Noise Cancelling Kennel.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Ford took the technology out of the car to solve a real-life problem. According to Graeme Hall, a world-famous dog trainer, over 50% of dogs show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. That’s why Ford created the Noise Cancelling Kennel, a unique object to protect pups from loud noises. Featuring both passive and active systems, just like the car, the kennel protected man’s best friend. Ford Noise Cancelling-Kennel was launched just before New Year’s Eve, the biggest firework event of the year.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

To shine light on dogs’ fear of loud noises, we took the technology out of the car and put it into an everyday object, to solve this everyday problem. According to Graeme Hall, a world-famous dog trainer, more than 50% of dogs show signs of fear when they hear fireworks. So, we created the Ford Noise Cancelling Kennel. Using the same technology as the Ford Edge, making this problem a hot subject around NYE. Alongside the actual prototype, we also created assets to support the press release, which included a 1-minute film that also featured dog experts and owners, together with photos of the Noise Cancelling Kennel.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

The Noise Cancelling Kennel was designed and built to protect dogs from loud noises. It incorporates a set of microphones and a digital signal processor that captures the incoming sound waves and generates their inverse. Adding both produces a disruptive interference that reduces the strength of the sound. We’ve created a film that presented the new invention, alongside the opinions of dog owners and famous dog trainer Graeme Hall. And launched it just before New Year’s Eve, the world’s largest fireworks celebration. Ford’s Noise Cancelling Kennel became instant news around the world, with media outlets from all areas of expertise picking up the story. From newspapers to TV shows and social media, the offline and online coverage was extensive, making headlines around the globe.

List the results (30% of vote)

The Noise Cancelling Kennel became an instant hit, generating over 1100 traditional media stories across the globe. From morning shows to evening news, newspapers or social media, the offline and online coverage was extensive. Ford Noise cancelling Kennel was particularly successful on broadcast and social media. It generated over 10.5 million views on social media, with an engagement rate of 34%. Ford’s Noise Cancelling kennel gathered over 486 million impressions, making this a very successful technology launch. And convincing people to consider dogs' fear of fireworks noise.