February 4, 2002
By Rebecca Flass
Los Angeles - To stand out with its new TV spots, Centinela Feed & Pet chose to analyze dog doo-doo and translate English into parrot-speak.
Those are the plots of two new ads for the 75-year-old chain. Client CEO Chris Nakagawa said the move to TV was driven by attractive ad rates and a desire to challenge rivals including Petco and PetSmart.
The ads are from The Miller Group in Santa Monica, Calif., which won the estimated $1 million account last fall after handling projects for the Los Angeles company, including design of private-label packaging and billboard-size murals.
The Miller Group President and Creative Director Renee Miller said the goal is to brand Centinela and drive traffic to its nine stores. The ads broke last week and "focus on just how dedicated its employees are," Miller said. The new tag is, "We're crazy about your pets."
"Poop" shows a woman examining something in the grass, commenting on its color and texture. When she recommends supplements, it becomes clear what the something is. In "Translator," one employee discusses the health of a parrot with a customer as another translates it into bird language."
The campaign includes tie-in with Hills Science Diet and Nutro Products. Ads are running on various cable stations. Media was handled by Horizon Media, Los Angeles turn out the way they were planned. But not so in radio. It's so easy for radio to take you away to another world!"
Back to Press