Dive Brief:

• Pedigree on Wednesday launched Adoptable, an initiative that combines proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) with the brand’s global media reach to create more engaging ads for shelter dogs, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The initiative from the Mars pet food brand gives a “glow up” to amateur photographs taken by shelter workers, creating professional-grade images that can cut down on the time it takes for shelter dogs to be adopted. 
• The purpose-driven effort, which uses geotargeting and first-party data to boost ad efficacy, is an example of how brands can use AI to create assets at scale.

Dive Insight:

Pedigree’s Adoptable uses the power of AI — a leading area of fascination and investment in the ad industry — to boost purpose-driven efforts around pet adoption. Twelve million dogs are in shelters worldwide, and the quality and characteristics of dog photos can “drastically” reduce adoption time, according to Mars’ State of Pet Homelessness research.

To serve that goal, Adoptable uses a digital double to provide information about the pose and general characteristics of the dog. Then, a machine-learning model refines the images to make the final product look like the specific dog available for adoption. The effort plans to target the AI-enhanced adoption ads based on factors like a viewer’s location and pet availability and will lean on Pedigree’s global media reach.

“Adoptable is a transformational step for us at Pedigree. We’re committed to helping end dog homelessness around the world. Now that commitment can be at the heart of everything we do — in every ad,” said Global Brand Vice President Fabio Alings in a statement.

Adoptable, billed by the brand as a first-of-its-kind initiative, was created with film and experience design shop Nexus Studios. It is launching in Pedigree’s global test market, New Zealand, before rolling out in other markets in 2024. 

Pedigree’s previous purpose-driven efforts around pet adoption have utilized social media, documentary films and — during the height of the pandemic — Zoom. 

Generative AI remains a hot topic in the marketing world. While the technology is increasing marketers’ feelings of job insecurity, generative AI could lead to lower rates of burnout in the industry. Still, pitfalls around legality and bad outputs remain.