“Never leave your dog in a hot car.” That’s the message from a new Škoda campaign created by Boys+Girls and media agency PHD. A car heats up like an oven and, in exceptional hot conditions such as those we’re experiencing now, can kill a dog in just 15 minutes. So, the advice to dog owners is simple – never leave your dog in a hot car.
It is the premise behind a new pet safety campaign now live across print, radio and social. The new campaign addresses one of the under-reported aspects of the intense heat – the dangers posed to dogs. Even if it’s 22°c outside, inside a car can reach up to 47°c within an hour. Dogs are unable to perspire like humans, they keep cool orally.
Laurence O’Byrne, creative director, Boys+Girls, said advertising at its best is when it helps to change behaviour and that is what a campaign like this has the power to do. “As a dog-loving country we’re not used to the current levels of intense heat, so we need to be aware of its impact our beloved pets and react accordingly,” O’Byrne added.
Campaign Credits
Client: ŠKODA Ireland
Agency: Boys + Girls
Executive creative director: Rory Hamilton
Creative director: Laurence O’Byrne
Art director: Mikey Fleming
Copywriter: Sam Moorhead
Head of planning: Margaret Gilsenan
Business director: Sarah Sherry
Senior account manager: Sorcha Brady
Account executive: Eimear O’Sullivan
Producer: Sarah Chadwick
Design: Maxi McDonnell
Finished art: Claire O’Reilly
Media agency: PHD Dublin
Photographer: Liam Murphy
Retoucher: Alex Goodwin – Happy Finish
Sound engineer: Dean Jones @ Raygun
VO: Ian Lloyd Anderson
