Humans with big cat heads invade Australia

Advertising's embrace of human beings with giant cat heads, which originated in Holland, has moved to Australia via this new Toyota Corolla work from Publicis Mojo in Sydney. According to the agency, the campaign "tells the story of a kitten headed hero who battles a gang of feral baddies" in an abandoned shopping mall, then scoots away in his sporty Corolla. "The ambitious production was a combination of very well rehearsed fighting sequences, and real, cuddly kitten heads." The campaign will play out online with an animated graphic novel in three pun-heavy parts: "9 Lives and Counting," "Landing on All Fours" and "The Sound and the Furry."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on November 7, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Australia, Automotive, Nudd, Pets, Publicis, Toyota

Giant pale worms are not a kid's best friend

This print campaign by TBWA\PHS in Finland is intended to make you wonder if you're actually feeding your dog—or the worms inside him. "Who do you take care of?" ask the ads, which promote Pfizer's Canex All Wormer for Dogs. The visuals are pretty arresting, and the point's well taken—if you like dogs. Frankly, I think those worms look darn cute, with their slimy trails and oozing maws. They're right out of classic '70s Dr. Who. Sure, they're parasites. But so is Rover, always humping legs and begging for scraps from the table. At least the worms won't shed. The kids are the creepiest part of the ads. They kind of resemble the mind-controlling tots in '60s horror films like Village of the Damned, but with huge worms to do their bidding. Via Ads of the World, which has larger, oozier versions.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Freaky, Gianatasio, Pets, TBWA

Snoop Dogg stirring up the anti-cat masses

Continuing the day's cat theme, here's a humorous promo for Snoop Dogg's Father Hood that presents the E! show as a refuge of sorts for people who hate felines. Via Adland. And if you still want more cat stories, check out Best Week Ever's 10 Videos of Cats Swimming, a recent story from The New York Times about single men who love cats, and a video on The Presurfer about a Russian woman, her tiny apartment and her 130 cats.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on October 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under E!, Nudd, Pets, TV promos

A cat who is almost begging to be put down

In the item below, we had cats acting like humans. Now, in this Whiskas spot by TBWA in Toronto, we have a human acting like a cat. His name is Hubert, and he loves meat. If you happen to miss the super at the beginning explaining that he's supposed to be a "silver tabby," you might wonder just what's being implied here, as this balding, middle-aged guy skips, preens and poses in an exaggerated manner. He never seems particularly catlike, just overcaffeinated with way too much free time on his hands. If he got into a catfight with that feline from the Dutch PSA, Mr. Whiskas would limp home with claw marks on his ass.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on October 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Gianatasio, Pets, TBWA, Whiskas

Abandoning animals messes with your head

These creepy ads from Portugal warn of the dangers of mistreating animals. (See larger versions here.) "When you abandon a dog, you never leave it behind," says the ad on the left. Plus, you'll have painful, dog-shaped tumors suddenly appear along the top of your head. Same with cats, apparently. The lesson here is clear: If you're going to abandon a pet, you'll need a good hat. And decent health insurance, in case those things pull a Medusa on you and burst out of your head. Or maybe you should just keep your pets.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on September 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Freaky, Kiefaber, Pets

New Webvet competition is for the birds

As I've noted before in this space, I am not a "pet" person. I don't like sharing my water dish or catnip, and I can think of better uses for a collar and leash than "walkies," though they're prohibited in most states, except maybe Idaho, where pretty much anything goes. That brings us to Webvet.com, which has launched a "Birds on Broadway" competition. The press release squawks about "an online search for the country's most talented parrots, canaries and other winged animals." Broadway? I suppose it's OK if they're reviving Bye Bye Birdie, but I'd think twice before letting any feathered friend of mine join the touring company of Cats. (Actually, the prize is $2,500.) For more silly bird-related humor, here's Monty Python's timeless "Dead Parrot" sketch. And yes, I'll be shouting "pining for the fjords" in a loud, obnoxious Cockney accent for the rest of the day. My co-workers can lump it.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on September 17, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Gianatasio, Pets, Webvet

If you must own a pet, check out WebVet

WebVet.com just went live, with pictures of Fido, Fluffy and other assorted species so devilishly cute I can only assume they were Photoshopped by Satan. The site says candy, caffeine, avocados, beer and nuts (though perhaps not beer nuts) can be harmful to your pet’s health. Look, if you’re feeding Tiddles mochachinos, truffles and guacamole salad, you deserve everything you’ve got coming. And there’s gonna be plenty of it! One headline on the site: “44-Pound Homeless Cat Found in N.J.” Yeah, it probably ate its owners. Pets are a lot of work, they’re expensive, and just when you get used to them, they die and leave you nothing in their wills. If you must own one, and its eyes turn red and it starts baying at the moon—especially if it’s an iguana—don’t go online! Call a real vet! God, those pictures are so damn cute.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

Published on August 5, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Gianatasio, Pets, Webvet