Yesterday, Dogs Trust has unveiled its Christmas campaign created by creative agency of record VCCP Blue. The campaign celebrates the extraordinary lengths people will go to help dogs find their forever homes.
The campaign is rooted in the insight that people don’t just love dogs; they go to extraordinary lengths for them. Not because they have to, but because it is part of who they are. By celebrating this shared commitment, Dogs Trust aims to inspire audiences to recognise that the ultimate expression of dog love is giving a rescue dog a forever home, while keeping the charity’s rehoming mission front of mind during the festive season.
In the integrated campaign, Dogs Trust shines a light on the heart of every successful rehoming story: the love, patience and commitment. At the heart of the campaign sits a 60” film directed by Charlie Thorne through VCCP’s Girl&Bear Studios, called ‘Kira Needs a Family’. The film follows eight-year-old Jack on a mission to find a loving home for Kira, a real-life rescue dog from Dogs Trust. Armed with handmade posters and boundless determination, Jack rallies his community and dedicates his Christmas and New Year to finding Kira the family she deserves. As Jack’s devotion to Kira unfolds, his parents begin to realise that the qualities Kira needs most in a forever home have been right in front of them all along. In Jack, Kira has found the love, patience and unwavering commitment every rescue dog deserves, bringing the story to a heartwarming conclusion that celebrates the difference a loving home can make.
The film was ideated by VCCP creatives Keilan Grant and Ben Parmenter, while Girl&Bear Studios brought the story to life with young star Jenson and Kira, a Dogs Trust rescue dog who recently found her forever home in real life.
The integrated film spans TV, video-on-demand (VOD), cinema, social media, digital display, out-of-home (OOH), audio, radio and ad pause placements from today until 31st December across the UK, including placements across Channel 4, ITV, Sky, Netflix and Disney+. Media strategy, planning and buying is handled by the7stars, with digital activity led by Propellernet both agencies have also created bespoke media partnerships to further celebrate Happy Places for dogs this Christmas. The Academy PR is supporting the campaign’s wider public relations activity.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive at Dogs Trust said: “At Christmas, the importance of family is more significant than ever to many. We know that dog lovers, just like Jack, believe that no home is complete without a dog and will go to extraordinary lengths to help ensure that all dogs have a happy home to call their own. At Dogs Trust, we believe that every dog deserves a happy place – at Christmas, and for life. We want our advert to shine a light on the thousands of dogs across the UK who are currently in rehoming centres or foster homes, patiently waiting for their new family.”
Ross Neil, Executive Creative Director at VCCP added: “As a challenger agency, we believe in the power of an unconventional spirit. With ‘Kira Needs a Family’, we wanted to bring Dogs Trust’s purpose to life through one child’s determination to make a difference. Jack’s mission shows how a seemingly small act of commitment can have a huge impact, while celebrating the extraordinary things dog people do simply because they love dogs.”
Zoe Bond, Client Director at the7stars contributed: “We’re delighted to bring another brilliant Christmas campaign to life through a wide array of media. Throughout our plan, we’ve prioritised highly-anticipated, attention focused media spaces to cut through, as we seek to bring a ‘happy place’ lens through the context, to reach dog owners and all dog lovers this festive period.”
Aleksandra Moore, Client Partner at PropellerNet noted: “We’re excited to see this campaign brought to life through the wide-ranging aspects of media that have been selected. We hope to have found the happy place for both the plan that lives in digital, but also for dogs this Christmas.”
