Nonprofit PetSmart Charities has partnered with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and PetSmart to shine a light on an important cause: uniting adoptable pets with loving homes to help relieve overcrowded and struggling shelters. They have teamed up to create a new video, released on YouTube and social media today (5/5), featuring comedian Dana Carvey who reprises his memorable impersonation of King Charles III and encourages viewers to adopt a dog through PetSmart Charities.
Ahead of the coronation, Carvey’s King Charles makes the connection between his name and that of the beloved family dog breed, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and asks that viewers refrain from buying a King Charles spaniel on coronation day and instead adopt a shelter dog.
The new social media campaign was inspired by the reported flurry of demand for dog breeds from popular movies and television shows, such as the reported uptick in purchases of dalmatians tied to a popular 1990s movie and TV series about the iconic black-and-white pups. When people buy dogs based only on pop culture moments, animal welfare organizations say these dogs are surrendered to shelters when people discover the breed isn’t the right fit for their family or their lifestyle.
For PetSmart Charities, this is a moment to call attention to the need for shelter pets to find loving homes. More than 5 million pets enter shelters each year, and today they’re staying longer. This has led to severe overcrowding and a strain on resources for shelters, rescues and animal welfare organizations. PetSmart Charities encourages families to consider adoption and talk with shelters and animal welfare organizations that can help them find the perfect match. This simple decision can save the life of a shelter pet.
“With millions of adoptable pets in need of homes, we knew we needed to think big to draw attention to this pressing issue,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. “There are few moments bigger than the coronation of a new king, and there is an urgent need for people with big love and a little extra space in their homes to adopt a new best friend. We’re excited for the opportunity to get more pets adopted into loving homes so families can experience the mutual benefits of caring for a pet.”
Maximum Effort created the video through PetSmart’s participation in MNTN’s Creative-as-a-Subscription (CaaS) service, a program that allows brands to bundle their creative and media spend.
“Dogs make our lives better in innumerable and unforgettable ways, so we wanted to take this moment to hopefully make a few of their lives better,” said Maximum Effort co-founder George Dewey. “From the royal King Charles and Corgis to the more common ‘not quite sure what they are,’ we wish all the doggos the best.”
This video featuring Carvey was directed by Tom Morris via production company SixTwentySix.
