• CMO, Thursday, November 17, 2005 1:30 PM

Marketers should never underestimate the power of pets. CMO magazine Editorial Director Lew McCreary reminds us that marketing history is filled with examples of animals used to sell products, and very successfully. "The relationships of people with their pets are both deep and uncomplicated," McCreary writes in this amusing essay. "Our dogs and cat--and, I suppose, cockatiels, rabbits and guinea pig--are halcyon objects of affection, and in this way they are suited to become iconic shills of considerable value." Examples abound and include the RCA dog, Nipper, listening attentively to "his master's voice" on an old Victrola. "In Nipper's rapt pose there is an implied endorsement of the Victrola's sonic fidelity. It's subtle and clever," McCreary says. And let's not forget Charlie the Tuna, the Energizer Bunny, the Geico gecko, and Morris the cat. The list goes on and on but the bottom line is this: people love their pets and they can be used in marketing campaigns to win hearts and minds and, as McCreary points out, open wallets.

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