Japan is behind in terms of legal restrictions on the sale of pets, and the way live animals are sold has raised issues frequently.

Pets are sold at shopping malls and home depots, making it not uncommon for people to buy pets on impulse when they go shopping for other items. People staying home with the pandemic has, compared to previous years, further raised the demand for pets, increasing the number of people who buy pets easily and abandon them.

The LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT campaign looked at the fact that the reason for pet abandonment lies not after buying pets, but actually before the purchase. To prevent pets from being sold and purchased easily, the “Ten conditions to become pet-owners” were created. This allowed those who buy pets, and the shop attendants to be able to run a preliminary check. And to convey the “Ten conditions to become pet-owners” publicly, TVCs and print ads were produced. The setting was when people are about to buy pets at the store, and the message was “Don’t buy on impulse.”

Future pet-owners were called on to check if they can clear the ten conditions.

The strategy was based on findings, that the reason for pet abandonment does not lie after the purchase, but before the purchase is made. Therefore, the message was conveyed to the shoppers and the shop attendants at the point when pets are purchased.

To convey to the public, the “Ten conditions to become pet-owners,” TVCs and print ads were produced. The ad campaign sent a powerful message through copy, in a setting many future pet-owners experience at the pet shop where they fall in love with a cute animal. The copy urged the shopper and the shop attendant not to decide on impulse but to think about the importance of taking life in one’s hands. They were asked to make sure they clear the “Ten conditions.”

Many celebrities took up the campaign, making it a big topic with 237,000 posts on social networks. Various media featured the campaign, and raised discussions not just about pet abandonment, but also about the system in Japanese pet shops that allow the purchase of live animals at the storefront. This has resulted in many companies and retailers in Japan to discontinue sales of live animals at the storefront.