Dog tested. Dog approved.Subaru hires ad agency Carmichael Lynch to show that Love truly is what makes Subarua Subaru

By: Nikia (Nikki) Lenef

Meet the BarkleysAuggie, Stevie, Sadie & Sebastian are only a few of the stars in Subarus newest furry family campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x698U8vd_WE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt7xnoH-tbQWho would ever think that dogs could be so relatable?

The campaign has run through multiple mediums including television, magazine, social media and YouTube (dog puns included).

Milosevic, Marija. "Subaru's Dog Campaign Strikes Again | Branding Magazine." Branding Magazine. N.p., 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 22 Feb. 2016."Win Cash from Subaru Dog Tested. Dog Approved. Campaign." Tripawds Blogs. TRIPAWD, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Target AudienceSubaru owners are more than twice as likely to have a pet than other car owners (Carmichael Lynch).Demographics: Average income: $88,000College education + Gay/lesbianFamiliesPsychographics:Earthy, environmentally-friendlyFrugality, money-savers

Target AudienceThe ads connect perfectly with their target audience, relying heavily on the fact that most Subaru owners have pets and relate to their dogs. They portray the dogs doing many typical middle-class things in a variety of ads such as the dogs getting their hair done, stopping at gas stations, noticing other, hotter Poodle dogs while driving a car that prides itself on its earth-friendliness and relatively inexpensive prices. This creates an emotional connection with the audience because they relate to the dogs doing typical (sometimes comedic) things that families do!

The Ad Agency: Carmichael Lynch220 employeesRevenue: ~ $41 millionLocated in Minneapolis, Minnesota11 major clients including:SubaruGNCJack LinksU.S. Bancorp.91 major awards including:Ad Ages 2015 Best Places to WorkFirst Place Creative Media AwardEffie Awards for Sustained Success 2015The Adweek Creative 100: Americas Most Inventive Talent in Marketing, Media and Tech (2015) Dean Buckhorn, Group Creative Director.

Reputation & SpecializationWe create the unfair ideas that give our clients the unfair advantage. The game-changers. The never-been-done-befores. The can-they-even-do-thats? (Carmichael Lynch)They have a reputation for thinking out-of-the-box and owning the word creative. Carmichael Lynch SpongA sister PR firm running with the slogan we find soulmates for our clients brands.Agency of the year honorsPR WeekHolmes ReportPRNews

The Campaign: Dog Tested. Dog Approved.The Business ProblemSubaru was struggling to come out with a campaign that was not only centered around Love and Family, but hit a more niched section of their target audience, while still appealing to the general public.The SolutionPUPPIES!Objective: to appeal to pet owners and dog lovers that if dogs love Subarus, people will too.This was a reintroduction of an existing product.It creates brand identity that Subaru supports families, animals, and a sense of humor.No special promotions.

Creative StrategySubaru has had a history for supporting animal welfare.Subaru drivers tend to have pets.Its a promise that if a dog (or your pet) loves a Subaru, you will too.Pet owners tend to relate deeply to their pets, especially dogs (precisely only 2% of Americans dislike dogs).Played heavily on pathos emotions and love for dogs and family.The ads play heavily on your typical family situations, creating a connection between the brand and its consumers that Subaru will help you tackle the day-to-day activities that happen in your life.The ad personifies dogs as humans driving cars in an extremely realistic way doing human-things which is incredibly memorable.

BenefitsEmotionalASPCA-partneredBrings family togetherAnimal-friendlyRationalReliablePractical Strong windshield wipersWeather friendlyFamily-sized

Why buy it?Frankly, because puppies!If a family of dogs can get around and survive the struggles of a day, a human family just needs a Subaru to do the same.Americans love dogs. Even if the campaign didnt make all dog lovers buy a Subaru, it certainly generated over 4 million more YouTube views, smiles, and brand awareness.

ImprovementsNo CALL TO ACTION!Could also be a good thing, because it forces people online to find the ads which would in turn bring viewers to the Subaru website.Just putting a website on the ad in a funny dog-pun way could bring even motivate viewers to do more.Were pawsitive youll love it. Go to Subaru.com/Barkleys to find out more about how your dog family could become a realityPossible subtitles for the dogs thought could also be entertaining and informative.

How to Determine Success: ResearchQuantitativeUsing actual statistics:Did more people buy a Subaru after these ads were played?How many people viewed the ads online afterwards?Did website viewership go up?QualitativeUsing surveys, questionnaires and focus groups:What were the psychographics of those who bought Subarus after the ads?Dog-lovers?Big families?Animal activists?Environmentalists?

The EthicsI dont believe this ad crossed any lines. People are smart enough to know that the dogs in the advertisements were not actually driving and have not been able to express their opinions about the product (in words). The ad seemed to come from a place of love and humor, not including anything hateful, cruel, or promiscuous. It didnt generate any controversies as well and the campaign was highly regarded by many (they even put the puppy in a car seat)!The ads were funny, cute, and relatable in a dog-like way. Many Americans go on road trips with their families and stop at gas stations. Do we all drink out of the toilet bowl while were there? No, but you get the idea: the dogs are just like us.

Puppy BowlThe commercial ads played during the Puppy Bowl (The Super Bowl, except for animal lovers).The ads appeared on many Best Super Bowl Commercial lists, even though they played on completely different channels than the Super Bowl.Subaru was one of many sponsors for the Puppy Bowl, honing in on their target audience.