With a shared love for rescue animals, Nebo partnered with P.L.A.Y. and Petfinder to take on the "puppy problem."

BRAND & AUDIENCE INSIGHTS

P.L.A.Y. (Pet, Lifestyle and You), a high-quality pet accessory company, holds a strong appreciation for the importance of shelter adoption. The goal was to launch a campaign to make a positive impact on animal welfare, but there were many challenges. The Rescue Pledge was designed to educate people about shelter adoption, decrease the ever-growing population of shelter dogs and make a lasting impact on behavior.

However, the appeal of visiting a breeder and bringing home a purebred at eight weeks old is tempting for many prospective dog owners. The campaign's secondary dilemma was public perception. Shelter dogs carry a stigma of being unclean and, at times, difficult to train.

Additionally, many people are not aware of the horrifying practices that take place behind-the-scenes at puppy mills and with some breeders.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Nebo designed the Rescue Pledge to accomplish two goals: first, create a hub where users could access educational information about animal rescue; second, inspire key audiences to take a pledge to support shelter dogs and encourage others to do the same.

The design team created a microsite, RescuePledge.org, which is the hub of the campaign. The site features educational information about rescue adoption and also serves as a place for rescue enthusiasts to come together to share personal photos and stories about their positive experiences with shelter dogs.

On the microsite, online users can take the pledge to adopt from animal shelters and to urge friends and family to do the same. Nebo also created a digital badge that users can share after taking the pledge via their own personal social media channels.

The team launched Rescue Pledge Facebook and Twitter profiles to interact with pledgers and share engaging information to promote animal rescue and welfare. These efforts were supplemented with a paid campaign that targeted fans of high-profile organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society.

THE RESULTS

The campaign has gained a strong, enthusiastic and active online audience. Key results include:

• Built a Facebook audience of more than 46,000 people, secured more than 10,000 followers within one month of launching the campaign—more than twice the goal
• Generated more than 2.5 million social impressions since campaign launch
• Sparked more than 150,000 online conversations
• Inspired more than 4,900 visitors to take the pledge on the microsite
• Encouraged dozens of pledgers to share personal stories and photos of their rescued pets via the microsite, motivating users to engage and fostering real conversation
• Established relationships with animal rights activists, small local shelters throughout the country and media outlets with a strong connection to animal welfare through Twitter