The small town of Buitrago del Lozoya, has always been noted for its historic heritage and for its splendid natural surroundings. But lately, it was becoming more renowned for the amount of dog excrement in its streets. So the Town Council set in motion this peculiar campaign to build residents’ awareness of how damaging it is for a town which depends so much on its image that they do not dispose properly of their pets’ business. The campaign involved placing remote-controlled piles of fake dog shit which would follow passers by to draw their attention to how unpleasant it is to have to be more aware of where you are stepping than of the beautiful scenery around them.

The use of remote-controlled fake dog turds as an advertising vehicle.A series of realistic-looking turds were produced and fitted with a set of wheels and a radio control mechanism for remote control of their movements and to get them to pursue people without them knowing they were being filmed by hidden cameras. Some turds were in charge of drawing people’s attention while others conveyed the message of the campaign using little flags.

During the first week after the campaign, there was an 85% reduction in the amount of dog mess, according to the Brunete Council cleaning services.Visits to the Brunete website increased by more than 150%Almost 20% more weekend visitors, according to tourist office figures.