DEFRA / Third Party Pet Sales
Driving awareness of deceitful pet sellers
Don’t get ‘Petfished’
The Challenge
We needed to show pet lovers that some sellers were deceiving honest people and harming animals for profit, usually hiding behind untrue online personas.
The Insight
People were familiar with the idea of researching the ideal pet, but not the seller. Telling pet lovers that pets are being mistreated by unscrupulous sellers can push them into a ‘rescue mentality’, meaning they purchase the animal to ‘save’ it and end up perpetuating the trade.
Watch the case study
The Platform for Change
We created the #Petfished campaign platform. It takes its name from the term ‘catfishing’, the practice of pretending to be somebody else on social media.
We sent investigative journalist Leah Green and a documentary film crew to expose this online trickery and help people spot the red flags. We also worked with the Chief Veterinary Officer & animal welfare charities, in particular targeting the popular Christmas period for buying pets.
Watch the documentary
Impact
300+
pieces of coverage across broadcast, print and national and consumer media
95%
of coverage contained the campaign name, pushing ‘Petfished’ into the English language
The campaign was widely awarded across the industry including winning at the SABRE Awards, PRMoment Awards and the DMAs. It was shortlisted for best PR campaign at the Drum Social Purpose Awards and in the Public Sector – Value for Money category at the PRCA Awards, Best use of Creativity and Best Public Awareness Campaign at the Purpose Awards and by The Marketing Society in the Marketing For Good category, amongst others.
