Colenso BBDO and Nexus Studios win Cannes Outdoor Lions Grand Prix for Pedigree ‘Adoptable’

Colenso BBDO has secured the prestigious Outdoor Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions 2024 for their innovative work on the Pedigree ‘Adoptable’ campaign. This victory follows their previous success in 2023, where they clinched the Audio and Radio Grand Prix. The latest accolade underscores the longstanding and fruitful partnership between Mars and Colenso, showcasing their commitment to creative excellence and social impact.

The award-winning ‘Adoptable’ campaign, developed in collaboration with Nexus Studios, represents a groundbreaking approach to advertising. Using a state-of-the-art machine learning model, the campaign integrates real dogs from local shelters into Pedigree advertisements. This novel use of AI technology not only promotes Pedigree products but also accelerates the mission to end dog homelessness by turning each advertisement into a spotlight for adoptable shelter dogs.

The ‘Adoptable’ campaign works by transforming basic photos of shelter dogs into high-quality, studio-grade images using machine learning. These images are then seamlessly integrated into various digital Pedigree ads. Each ad directs viewers to a personalised landing page where they can learn more about the featured dog and consider adoption. Once a dog is adopted, it is instantly removed from the media rotation, ensuring that only dogs still in need of homes are advertised.

The AI model used in ‘Adoptable’ is trained to understand the detailed visual composition of each dog, including its body shape, colour, and unique markings. This allows for precise customization, ensuring that the advertisements accurately represent the individual dogs waiting in shelters. The flexibility of the AI rig also means that the dogs can be positioned to suit any media format, enhancing the visual appeal and effectiveness of the campaign.

One significant feature of the ‘Adoptable’ campaign is its use of geographic data to improve adoption outcomes. By analysing proximity to parks and household sizes, the campaign matches dogs with locations that best suit their needs, addressing the issue of high return rates for adopted dogs. Currently, one in five adopted dogs are returned to shelters, and this data-driven approach aims to reduce that statistic by ensuring better matches between dogs and their new homes.