Fido’s lost puppies await a sympathetic soul to bring them home in a new campaign promoting the opening of new Fido locations across Ontario. In the guerilla marketing stunt, little stuffed Fidos are abandoned in high-traffic locations like bus shelter and parks within a kilometre radius of a new store, the openings of which will unroll through October.
Wild postings that have a picture of the dog are placed in nearby locations with a phone number that people who find the plush pets can call to leave a message. ‘We’re treating this exactly as if you were to lose your own puppy,’ says Sebastien Moise, Fido marketing manager for Ontario. A recorded voice will instruct the Samaritans where to bring the dog, and upon its return they receive an award of special offers, depending on location. There is also a posting on Craigslist with similar verbiage, explains Moise.
With creative developed by Bos in Toronto and guerilla stunts executed by Trevor Peter Communications, media for the campaign includes local radio spots and newspaper ads, some of which will mention the ‘Lost Puppy’ campaign. TSAs and billboards will promote the new store locations. Media is handled by MBS for the first half of the campaign and OMD for the second (as Fido makes an AOR switch).
The mobile carrier, which underwent a re-branding late last year, has several objectives with the campaign, explains Moise. ‘Where Fido was probably more urban in a sense, we’re really focusing on expanding our distribution this year. So the first objective is to get people aware of that. Second is to continue to reinforce the new Fido positioning, offers and plans that we have in market,’ he tells MiC.
