Chewy Gives Dogs (And Cats) Something to Talk About.

Chewy makes talking pets so real you’ll wonder why yours don’t.

Chewy has built its business as an online pet pharmacy into a force that has caused the brick & mortar suppliers to sit-up, rollover and even play dead. They have built a strong brand, but it has taken years to get to this point. The early brand was nothing special, just getting the name out there, getting people used to the idea. But then covid really helped their sales to soar. Unfortunately, covid did that for many online businesses.  Not unfortunate that their business increased, but because it was due to a pandemic. On the other hand, it was great for all those with pets. Animals still needed to be cared for in spite of their owners’ inability to go out or maintain their normal pet care routines.

Since all of that, the Chewy brand has been steadily working its way up in brand recognition. Its TV commercials have been more and more creative and memorable. I know for a long time I was walking around my house saying “The peanut butter box is here!” And I don’t have ANY pets at all. It was just a well executed concept. One thing that started with that commercial was using actor voices that were memorable and not over-acted. But the voices were the voices inside the heads of the pets, not spoken with their own mouths.

Then this latest campaign changed all that. Chewy really tuned into their customers and the relationship between pets and their owners. Pets ARE family. This newest campaign literally puts pets as the centerpiece of family, even if you’re single and your pet IS your family. Chewy has taken this whole relationship concept to a new level. The environments are lit more like a real home or office. The people are talking with their pets, and the pets are talking back – mouths moving and all. I think the most engaging thing about the pet characters that have been created are their voices which immediately connect to a personality. They are perfectly passive, not character heavy, just like talking to a friend or neighbor. What a difference that subtle nuance can make. Everything suddenly becomes – well – believable. So believable I can image pet owners taking a serious close look at their pet after watching the commercial and wondering if they’re holding back something.

This is huge for the Chewy brand in my opinion. A concept that connects to that emotional tie between the target audience and their pets and is executed at a very high level. Flawless scripting, voice actors, casting, production, it checks all the boxes for me. I applaud Chewy for not hovering their brand at a good level but boldly taking it to a whole new level of brand engagement.

It’s the kind of work that will make everyone sit-up and take notice. Good Boy!