Description
To shine an unmissable light on the issue of overweight dogs, IAMS™ pet food partnered with a real-life overweight dog named Waylon to put his story on a huge stage this holiday season. The brand created a larger-than-life dog balloon – modeled after Waylon – that got “stuck” between two buildings en route to the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade. Not actually an official entry in the parade, the two-story-tall balloon represents the many dogs across the country who are carrying extra weight.
It’s one of the most pressing issues in pet health – over 59% of American dogs are overweight or obese[1] and most dog parents don’t even realize it. That’s why the IAMS brand is putting a spotlight on the issue of overweight dogs and helping pet parents navigate their own dogs’ wellness journeys through science-based nutrition and additional pet health and wellness resources.
The wedged Waylon balloon was visible in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood on Sunday, and prompted passersby to scan on-site ǪR codes driving them to the IAMS Healthy Weight Dog Hub, where they could learn more about Waylon’s journey toward living a more active, healthier lifestyle and reaching a healthier weight with a combination of regular exercise, veterinary care and IAMS nutrition and tools.* The hub contains a variety of resources and tools to help support all dogs and pet parents on their own wellness journeys, including tips for exercise and treating, a serving size calculator to help with portion control, and the IAMS Weight Assessment tool, which pet parents can use to determine if their dog is at a healthy weight by assessing their Body Condition Score.
Waylon was about 8 pounds overweight at a recent checkup, according to his veterinarian. Following his vet’s recommendation, Waylon embarked on an overall wellness journey with two goals in mind: to reach a healthier weight and to participate in a local turkey trot event. Waylon and his pet parent aimed to achieve these goals through greater emphasis on exercise and spending time outdoors, and with nutritional support from the IAMS brand, focusing on portion control and changing his diet to IAMS Adult Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food.*
“Many dog parents don’t even know their pets are overweight and it’s our mission at IAMS to help those dogs, like Waylon, live healthier lives,” said Jean-Paul Jansen, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Pet Nutrition North America. “Showcasing Waylon’s journey on this large stage is important to us because it’s one many pet parents can relate to. We’re committed to helping them move forward in their own wellness journeys by providing nutritional support and practical tools to better understand and help improve their pets’ health and wellbeing.”
After following his veterinarian’s recommended approach, Waylon’s pet parent reports that he has lost weight and is continuing on his healthy weight journey. They even expect to achieve the goal of participating in a dog-friendly 5K together on Thanksgiving Day.
Pet parents inspired by Waylon’s story can visit the IAMS Healthy Weight Dog Hub to check where their own dogs sit on the healthy weight spectrum and learn more about the different factor impacting weight. The hub offers a variety of resources and tools like tips for exercise and treating, a serving-size calculator to help with portion control, and details of specially formulated IAMS Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food. Made with delicious real farm-raised chicken, IAMS Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food is formulated with L-carnitine, an ingredient to help turn fat into energy in order to gradually help return dogs to a healthy weight when included as part of an overall wellness routine.
IAMS pet food products are available online or in-store at major retailers and pet stores nationwide. To follow along with Waylon’s journey* and to access health and wellness resources in support of all dogs on their own wellness journeys, pet parents can visit the IAMS Healthy Weight Dog Hub, and follow the IAMS brand on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
This professional campaign titled 'Waylon' was published in United States in November, 2024. It was created for the brands: Iams and Mars Petcare, by ad agency: adam&eveDDB. This Experiential and Integrated media campaign is related to the Pets industry and contains 1 media asset. It was submitted 14 days ago.
Credits
Client: Mars Inc.
Brand: IAMS
Project/Campaign Name: IAMS Presents: Waylon
First Air Date: Nov 24, 2024
Client names and Job Titles:
Jean-Paul Jansen, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Pet Nutrition North America
Edwin Padilla – Global Brand VP, IAMS
Fawad Farrukh – VP, IAMS North America
Matt Darcy – Associate Brand Director, IAMS North America
Olivia Chlasta – Marketing Manager, IAMS Global
Rachel Dawson – Digital Ecosystem Manager, IAMS North America
Paul Kendall – Brand Manager, IAMS Global
Lindsay Kordik – Senior Director, External Affairs, Mars Pet Nutrition North America
Wes Bottoms – Brand Communications Manager, Mars Pet Nutrition North America
Bella Byrd – Digital Ecosystem Coordinator
Andrea Migliore – CRM Coordinator
Coleen Ducey – Digital Merchandising & Operations Specialist
Heidi Parrish – DVM, Mars Petcare
Agency: adam&eveDDB
Creative:
CCO – Richard Brim
ECDs – Ant Nelson + Mike Sutherland
CD – Paul Knott
CD – Molly Wilkof
Creatives – Ben Robinson + Mike Whiteside
Social Director- Phoebe Wright
Social Creative – Judith Talkens
Production:
Head of Production – Sally Pritchett
Head of Print Production and Experiential– Jaki Jo Hannan
Producer – Joel Wilson
Social Producer – Brooke Lagana
Assistant Producer – Amy Galvin
Planning:
Planning Director – Stuart Williams
Planning Director – Catherine Willoughby
Senior Planner – Kit Owens
Senior Planner – Zayem McTear
Confidential - Not for Public Consumption or Distribution
Chief Executive Officer:Miranda Hipwell
Account Management:
Managing Partner – Charlotte Cook
Business Director – Stephanie Taylor
Account Director – Sarah Hill
Account Manager – Lauren Dixon
Project Management:
Project Director: Rasha Noronha
Senior Project Manager: Becky Faloju
Legal: Senior Legal Counsel – Tom Campbell
PR: Ketchum
Client Director: Seagren Crous
Account Lead: Julie Nunes
Earned Media Lead: Alex Demers
Influencer Lead: Sarah Vates
Social Lead: Blau Ramos
Entertainment Lead: Danielle Hallas
Balloon Designer: Jennifer Palmer
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks
Experiential Director: Glue Society
Service company: Biscuit Filmworks US
Editing (offline & online) Company: Absolute Post, London (Waylon’s Journey, Health Tips)
Executive Producer: Belinda Grew
Jnr. Producer: Dannica Green
Editor: Tom Higgins
Edit Assist: Christy Brooks
Colourist: Pete Oppersdorff
2D: Tom Higgins
Editing (offline & online) Company: Cutters, Chicago (Launch Films/CBS Package)
Soundtrack Name: Minneapolis Bump by Southside Aces
Audio postproduction (if applicable): 750mph