• by Tanya Gazdik , April 23, 2010

Frontline Plus flea prevention appeals to pet owners' primal instincts in wanting to protect their pets against pests.

When it comes to fleas and ticks, pet owners liken the experience to going to war against the deadliest of foes, according to research conducted by Frontline Plus and its agency Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness (SSW). The insight was used in launching a new marketing campaign for the brand, which features the tagline "There's Killing and then there's Complete Killing."

The multichannel marketing campaign includes TV, print and integrated digital platforms. A new Web site has been developed by SSW that features information, education, how-to-use videos on applying Frontline and even a game where consumers can take out their frustrations on dealing with fleas and ticks in all their life stages. Interactive banner advertising provides free coupons and sample applications.

One portion of the "entertainment" section of the new Web site, www.Completekiller.com, has the headline "Flea Killah." Consumers are invited to upload a photo of themselves and "take killing into their own hands." The site also includes the TV spot and a game called "Fleas and Desist."

Creative aims to differentiate Frontline Plus from competitive products. The positioning highlights the brand's distinguishing ability to bring about the demise of fleas at all three stages of the lifecycle -- eggs, larvae and adult pests -- as well as ticks on both dogs and cats. This is in comparison to competitive products that only impact fleas at the adult stage.

The product, a green liquid topical application, is portrayed as a fighting squad of green combatants. As the green liquid spreads through the pet's coat, the green squad launches a search and destroy mission bringing down fleas, ticks, eggs and larvae with military precision.

"As the brand that has helped pet owners understand and address the issues caused by ticks and fleas for many years, we saw an opportunity to progress from an educational message to one that celebrates our superior performance and the satisfaction consumers get when using Frontline Plus," says Mike Hutton, senior director, Frontline Marketing, in a release.