DelMonte’s Meow Mix brand cat food has debuted a new interactive campaign to go along with its “Think Like a Cat” game show and to promote the launch of its Wholesome Goodness product line.
The game show, which aired on November 15 on the Game Show Network, features cats and their owners competing for the chance to win $1 million. Omnicom’s Agency.com has extended this TV effort with a series of 10 online interactive games called Cat Capades, in which users show off their feline instincts by facing the every day adventures of a housecat. Users can play one or all 10 games to build up their Cat IQ and then send a challenge to friends. It includes the opportunity to win pet-related prizes.
In addition, one game from the series, “Get Toes,” is featured in an in-banner execution and can be placed as a widget on a social network.
“We know that cat parents feel a kinship with their cats, and it’s not uncommon for them to ‘know’ what’s going on in their heads — what they think and feel,” said Alison Olsson, account executive for Agency.com, in an e-mail to DMNews. “We knew this would be especially fun for cat lovers, because they are familiar with many of the cat behaviors highlighted in the games.”
The campaign is aimed at people who view their cat as more than just a pet, and more like a family member. Digital was the natural channel for these games.
“Our target is the fastest growing casual online gaming audience. Online games create an immersive and positive experience to deepen the user’s engagement with the brand,” said Daniel Romanoff, senior associate brand manager for Meow Mix, in an e-mail to DMNews. “Additionally, it allows us to contextually incorporate brand messaging and product information, as well as interesting cat facts.”
The digital games are part of an integrated campaign that also includes PR, free-standing inserts and in-store sampling. However, the “Think like a cat” campaign is not Meow Mix’s first foray into the interactive space.
Last year, the brand worked with Agency.com to create an interactive experience using photos and videos on www.MeowMix.com.
The site involved videos of a variety of cats, humming the well-known Meow Mix theme song, super-imposed over a living room setting. Consumers could scroll over the cats to bring them to life and play with them.
