Pedigree | 2024
Pedigree's AI Makeover for Shelter Dog Photos Wins Cannes Lions 2024 OOH Grand Prix / Pedigree "Adoptable"
Turning dim, dingy shelter photos into images that look like professional studio shots, with a little help from AI. Pedigree's "Adoptable," created by Colenso BBDO in New Zealand, won the Grand Prix in the Outdoor category at Cannes Lions 2024.
The problem
There are 12 million shelter dogs around the world waiting for a home, and Pedigree has been supporting adoption efforts for the past 20 years. But there's only so much people power alone can do at that scale.
The insight
Shelter dogs get adopted as soon as someone actually sees them. So why not put the whole ad budget toward making sure they get seen?
The idea
Blurry, poorly lit photos taken by shelter staff were run through custom AI and turned into images that look like they were shot by a professional. The dog's image was mapped onto CGI so it could be posed any way and fit any ad format, then displayed on digital ads near local shelters. The moment a dog got adopted, it disappeared from the ad.
What happened
Within two weeks of launch, half of the featured dogs had been adopted, and traffic to shelter websites rose 6 times. Adoption rates were also 12% higher for dogs that came through this ad. It was Pedigree's first-ever Grand Prix.
Afterthought
I couldn't see the actual images, but what I love is that the AI isn't being used to make the dogs look "cuter" — it's built around the idea that the ad disappears the moment the dog finds a home. It's not tech for tech's sake; it's a tool actually built to get dogs home.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2024
