Outdoor ad: Sydney Dogs & Cats Home: Sydney Dogs & Cats Home

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For 70 years, Sydney Dogs & Cats Home has given 200,000 abandoned, lost and mistreated animals a second chance at life. But Sydney's only no-kill, not-for-profit animal shelter was about to be evicted from the land they had leased for decades, to make way for a property development. The shelter had unsuccessfully tried to get the attention of the State Premier, Mike Baird, who had the power to help, but he had ignored them. With just weeks to go, they asked J Walter Thompson Sydney to find a better way to get the government's attention.

Our objective was to demonstrate public support for the shelter and to quickly collect 10,000 signatures to enable it to officially lobby the government. As human attempts to appeal to the Premier had failed, our idea was to get the dogs themselves to protest. We took dozens of rescue dogs to Sydney’s central business district (right outside a major TV network, the Premier’s office and State Parliament) to win the hearts of dog-lovers and politicians on their way to work. Each dog had a makeshift cardboard home with a sign saying #AlmostHomeless and a petition to help save the shelter.

The activation was supported by PR, celebrity influencers, social and online content to create awareness and gather online signatures. Within 24 hours, we got the 10,000 signatures the Home needed, and #AlmostHomeless was covered by all the major news platforms. But, most importantly, we got a solid commitment from the Premier, Mike Baird, to help Sydney Dogs & Cats Home on national TV that night.