Pedigree Presents Hat Dogs

Those in the know, know that Margaret Keene & Chris Adams, under the watchful eye of zen master Leeland Clow-

-turned Pedigree into an iconic brand. “Dogs Rule” is right up there with the best tags in the biz, and the matter-of-fact vocal stylings of David “I Wanna Sex You Up” Duchovny assure the brand’s place among Chiat’s top tier success stories.

So why then did Mars, Inc., parent co to Pedigree, call me on my private bathroom line?

“We want more YouTube hits,” said Paul Michaels, global CEO. “I saw what you did with Pringles, I think YouTube is hot right now, and did you just flush the toilet?” I quickly coughed to cover up the flush, agreed to give it a shot and hung up.

See, this didn’t really surprise me. Clients want YouTube hits. For some reason, they think it really amounts to something. Largely, though, I’m not sure that staggering numbers translate to much. Case in point. Even had Charmin sponsored the video in question, they’d still probably have remained in the #2 market position. (Get it? GET IT??)

I’m not here to rebrand Pedigree, that’s a fool’s errand. My agenda is to deliver the hits. So without further ado, may I present Hat Dogs.