Del Monte Foods broke its first major ad campaign for the Pup-Peroni brand on January 26, building on the notion that a dog really is a man's best friend, according to an article on www.Brandweek.com .
Del Monte CMO Bill Pearce said the campaign reflects dog
owners' sentiment toward their pets: "If you look at the
evolution of the relationship between pets and pet [owners], it
wasn't that long ago that the dog slept in the garage or
basement . . . Now, the majority of Americans have dogs that
actually sleep with them."
While
ads
contain a plug or two for the product, the campaign's
core goal is to articulate Pup-Peroni's emotional benefits,
said Hilary Hamer,
Draftfcb
sales vice president and group management director, who
oversees Del Monte's petfood business.
Del Monte, which spent US$420,000 through November 2008
marketing its Pup-Peroni brand, said the company is spending
UA$8 million on the television and online push. The Web portion
includes a US$1-$2 coupon offer, as well as a "pup-gram" device
on
www.Pupperoni.com
that allows users to send a pet-themed message to friends.
Previously, Del Monte relied on in-store marketing for its
Pup-Peroni line of products.