• by Aaron Baar , March 24, 2009

People love their pets almost as much as (and sometimes more than) they love their children. But there are only a few places where people can have the viral fun of, say, an "Elf Yourself," that's geared specifically for the four-legged members of the family.

Enter "Beggin' Time," a new viral campaign for Purina from Oddcast, in which people can put photos of themselves and their pets dancing to a revamped version of "U Can't Touch This." ("Bone and a Biscuit?/Yo! That's simplistic/I need Beggin' to go Ballistic," raps the dog.) The song has been recast as "U Can't Top This."

"There are lots of applications where people can use photos of themselves, but there are very few where people can use their pets too," said Adi Sideman, CEO of viral marketing agency Oddcast. "Dog owners and pet owners are really excited about their pets, and when they have a chance to customize media around their pets they go crazy."

The videos are intended to be passed along virally and posted to social networks. Oddcast and Purina used Facebook Connect functionality on the site to allow users to pull photos directly from their social networking accounts for the video, and to make posting easier.

"We want to harness the same social media tools to promote this and create this, rather than traditional media," Sideman said. "We're already seeing the traffic grow, so it's on the right track."

In addition to its viral nature, the Beggin' Time application will be promoted through online banner ads on Purina Web sites. It will also be featured on the Web sites of CBS Radio stations, which will run examples of the video (think, perhaps, Barack Obama and a Portuguese Water Dog) in streams and pre-rolls, as well as in banner advertising.

"This viral campaign is a fun way to convey that sharing Beggin' brand dog treats is the best time of day for both you and your four-legged friend," said Eric Willis, Beggin' Brand Manager, in a statement. "With the video and viral elements that we have integrated into Beggin' Time, this innovative application is sure to engage dog lovers in the online world."