NexGard Presents Turning a Treatment into a Treat:

Protecting your dog from pests like fleas and ticks is an act of love. So why doesn’t it feel that way? Chasing him down to administer liquid on his back feels more like punishment than pleasure.

But now there’s a tasty chew that dogs and owners adore—NexGard. It protects against fleas and ticks and it’s a treat to give. So we developed an integrated campaign demonstrating just that.

We had dogs sniffing it out on TV; begging for it in print and banners; and literally licking it off the screen of the website. Going beyond introducing the vet-prescribed product, we let owners experience it by seeing dogs relish its delicious taste.

Not surprisingly, the campaign changed owners’ attitudes toward protecting their dogs, and sales skyrocketed—making NexGard the most successful launch for an animal health product in the United States. Ever.

What If All That Unpleasantness Could Be Pleasurable?

Protecting dogs against fleas and ticks can be a chore. But does it have to be? With the right execution, NexGard could transform the lose/lose situation of the current flea/tick protection ritual into a win/win.

How to Demonstrate This New Unique Product? Let the Dogs Do It:

“Dogs in Your Face” turned the category upside down by demonstrating the “pleasure of the application” for this delicious soft, beef-flavored chew by utilizing canines. The campaign put adorable, larger-than-life pooches gobbling NexGard chews front and center.

Dogs Were Begging for NexGard. People Were Begging to See the Dogs:

Our media strategy set out to make a splash with a mix of mass-reaching vehicles.

• National TV

• Banner ads and search

• Magazines

• Rich-media website & mobile

The net-net? Our audience couldn’t get enough of seeing our dogs—begging, licking, and gobbling NexGard.

Change Dog Owners’ Behavior Toward Protecting Their Dogs and Sales Will Soar:

Even before the launch, we knew we had a success when our copy test scores were almost double the norm for effectiveness.

After all, dog owners want their dogs to be not only healthy, but happy. So they asked their vets about NexGard and gobbled up our new product.

Our Accountants Were Licking Their Chops, Too:

Our first-year sales goal was $70 million. By the end of 2014, we hit $140 million in US sales. This propelled our market share to catapult past 7%.

And demand? After 2 months, Merial expanded its product capacity by opening up a new plant to produce more chews.

The Most Successful Launch For an Animal Health Product in the United States—ever:

Considering sales, market share, and demand we had launched successfully. Happy dogs and owners make happy accountants.