The Ad That Gave Mixed-Breed Dogs a "Pedigree" / PEDIGREE "CARAMELO"

The problem

In Brazil, an estimated 30 million or more animals live as shelter dogs, and mixed breeds, which make up most of them, are significantly harder to get adopted than purebreds. It all started when actress Tatá Werneck posted a complaint that her dog Mamoninha couldn't enter a dog show because she was a mixed breed.

The insight

In Brazilian culture, the caramelo is already loved and familiar, appearing in memes and as part of the street scenery. And yet in shelters, it's the dog least likely to be chosen. AlmapBBDO zeroed in on that contradiction. CCO Pernil said he wanted people to see the caramelo "not just as a dog, but as a symbol of values like love, loyalty, and companionship."

The idea

The core idea was to officially certify the caramelo as a breed. Working with DNA Pets, they carried out genetic research on 350 caramelo dogs and issued brand-sponsored certificates to the dogs that took part. They also founded the "Caramelo Kennel Club" and even held a dog show just for mixed-breed dogs. They refreshed the packaging too, featuring caramelos on it.

What happened

The campaign ran across multiple channels, including out-of-home ads, cinemas, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok. At Cannes Lions 2025 it won a Titanium Lion (only 4 out of 18 entries won one) and Gold in the Creative Strategy category. It's reported that monthly adoptions of mixed-breed dogs increased by 218%.

Afterthought

There's a great twist here: a company whose brand name literally means "pedigree" doing real genetic research for dogs that have none. What's really impressive is that they didn't stop at a meme, they built an actual system around it, with certificates, a club, and a show. Making dogs not just loved, but chosen. I really like this approach of putting the company's name on the line for it.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Gold 2026

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