THE SMART ONES DROOL

Big dogs at the APA are officially Sit, Stay, Come Certified.

Adoption centers around the country are battling the misperception that big dogs aren’t bonafide house pets. The APA is no stranger to this predicament. As we’ve worked with them to shift the narrative (see here), they’ve doubled down and worked with their big dogs to ensure their “unwieldy” reputation will remain unfounded. How is the APA doing this? They’re teaching their dogs basic commands, so adopters will find their potential pup already pre-trained. 

This big initiative for big dogs was worthy of a large launch. That’s why the APA came to us to make it happen. We got to work right away with the natural first steps for a program in its infancy. Namely, we named it. 

Like the miller’s daughter in Rumpelstiltskin, we rummaged through all the handles we could muster. We thought about leaning into the dog’s massive manners and genteel nature, conjuring images of books balanced on noggins like the Princess of Genovia. And we journeyed through very, very explanatory titles like APA Trainer Taught or APA Ready to Stay. In the end, we decided the quick-get was essential. What can these big dogs do? And where can you find them? That brought us to APA Sit, Stay, Come Certified. 

Now, no certification is complete without a proper stamp of approval. A mark of differentiation. It’s here that we created a dog bone (the perfect training tool) with three overlapping ribbons that harken to themes of graduation and signify the three basic commands.

With name and mark in hand, we directed our attention to launch tactics. We tapped Bruton Stroube to help us create video assets and photography that would give this brilliant initiative the stage it deserves. 

After a collab between all three parties, we realized the best way to demonstrate big dog abilities was with a big demonstration. Better yet, we wanted to demonstrate those basics all on camera, all in one take. A “oner” if you will. This way the audience could see we weren’t tricking them with clever cuts and movie magic. The result is a realistic portrayal of pure, unadulterated obedience. 

We also photographed these prized pups in natural settings to lean into the training aesthetic while letting the blue sky represent the APA brand’s blue we have established in previous campaigns. Ultimately, the key to a successful shoot is well-trained talent. 

Social media videos and stills drive to a landing page where you can learn more about the program. And you can even search for certified dogs using a custom filter with the adoptable pets section of the website. (Go ahead, try it.) And for the pupils of the program, they can take a certificate/toy to their forever home to be proudly displayed above the mantle, dog bowl or perhaps a kennel wall. No reason to hide such an achievement. 

As Sarah Javier, president of the APA, put it in our interview piece (up there ^^^), “The APA started the program to give big dogs a boost.” Hopefully this work nudges pups that much closer to happy homes and the APA to greater capacity. If you’ve thought about a big guy (or girl) but secretly worry about your ability to boss them around, we encourage you to head over to the APA for some well-mannered mensa candidates.