• by Larissa Faw , February 17, 2020

Milk-Bone’s new ad campaign repositions the dog treat brand to favorably compare the loyal canine-human relationship to an array of other pets in admittedly ridiculous and lighthearted scenarios.

Would you rather play fetch with a turtle or a dog? Can you imagine any other animal looking as cute as a dog serving as ring bearer during your wedding?

“We wanted to re-energize the Milk-Bone campaign and make it more culturally relevant and ubiquitous with today’s dog lovers,” explains Dave Latta, consumer engagement group lead at The J.M. Smucker Company. “Today, people take their dogs everywhere; stores, restaurants, their office, on vacation and our culture is really embracing the idea of ‘dog-friendly’ being the norm now, not the exception.”

The creative, developed with PSOne, a bespoke Publicis Groupe agency for The J.M. Smucker Company, takes a cheeky tone to suggest dog parents have more fun than other pet owners, and ends, of course, by reminding viewers a dog’s life is more fun with Milk-Bone treats.

Sample the work here, here and here.

“Dog treats are meant to bring joy, but the communication across the category has become very functional and joyless,” stated Jason Gorman, executive creative director, PSOne. The two companies wanted to “insert the fun back into treating by reminding people how great it is to have a dog in your life.”

The campaign features three broadcast commercials, online video and social content.