• by Tanya Gazdik , June 9, 2019

Cats are naturally curious, so Whiskas decided to disrupt the personal assistant category by introducing Mia, which asks questions instead of answering them.

Powered by artificial intelligence, the abstract cat-shaped item aims to “nurture children’s curiosity” by asking multiple-choice questions on various topics.

Mia reinforces Whiskas’ global stance, “Feed Curiosity,” about inspiring people to encourage their cats’ curiosity, says Roberto Valdrghi, marketing director for Whiskas in  Brazil. “The aim is to strengthen the bond between cats and humans by way of this unique trait, which is shared by both humans and cats: curiosity.”

Mia works using a motion sensor. When she senses that humans are nearby, the kitty assistant will start a conversation, asking questions about a whole variety of topics that kids will find interesting and offering multiple-choice answers. Mia is 3D-printed and comes in Whiskas' signature colors of white and purple. 

A few units have been released so far, all sent to Whiskas partners and friends of the brand for experimental use. The project was developed by AlmapBBDO, which created a long-form video to promote the concept.