Instagram PSA campaign a (very cute) success

By Julie Castle

It’s hard to imagine a much bigger game changer than the Internet for, well, just about everything. This thing that didn’t even exist 20 years ago is now hard to think of life without. Whether it’s the immediate exchange of information about animals in need, or a “listicle” of funny cat GIFS, animals own the Web and it’s totally changed the way we work in animal welfare.

That same feline (and canine) love on the Internet has given birth to some pet celebrities with some serious star power. Chances are you may have seen these four pets somewhere before. They’re giants of the Web, and now they’re lending their star power to help promote adoption through an innovative educational campaign. We’re proud to have launched a public service announcement (PSA) campaign on Instagram with their help.

These four superstars have built incredible followings with each photo of a yawn, stuck-out tongue, superhero costume, or dinnertime pic. Their sweet personalities have captured the hearts of literally millions. As of this writing, there are nearly 260,800 likes for this campaign on Instagram and Facebook, and roughly 7,500 comments. The news of this campaign has been shared by the LA Times and on Buzzfeed, Cute Overload, and other sites with incredibly large audiences. And each one of those viewers is seeing a heart-warming message of adoption.

We’re thrilled to have the support of these adorable VIPs! Check out this incredible video PSA, which has been viewed more than 11,000 times. This is the work, again, of the brilliant TBWA\Chiat\Day, the agency we worked closely with on the NKLA campaign.


With the rather discouraging results from our pet adoption study earlier this year, it’s imperative that we convince more Americans that adoption should be their first option. Nearly half of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 34 said they preferred to buy pets as they thought of shelter pets as damaged. Thanks to these four super pets, we’re getting the message of adoption out to a whole new demographic. And are there possibly four better “spokespets” for the joy an adopted pet can bring to your life?

Together, we can Save Them All!

You can help us push the positive message of adoption by sharing the promo video above on your social networks.

Julie Castle

CEO

Best Friends Animal Society

@BFAS_Julie