The brief: launch the animation feature film The Secret Life of Pets with a box office target of $25 million, $3 million higher than the record set by Despicable Me.

These numbers need context. Australia, an island isolated in the middle of the ocean has some of the highest rates of film piracy per capita in the world. Getting folks to the cinemas 3 months after a release date in the US isn’t a challenge, it’s like climbing bloody Mt Everest. To reach the summit the objective was clear; make a children’s animation film appeal to adults of all ages by making their pets ambassadors for our film.

We called upon Australia to show us their ‘Pet Pride’ and celebrate the secret life of their pet through a competition sharing pictures and videos through the hashtag #SecretLifeOfMyPet. We embarked on a nationwide search to find Australia’s next Pet Superstar. True to pet owner’s natural sharing behaviour, social was at the heart with a responsive website that aggregated entries online and provided a destination for sharing Aussie ‘Pet Pride’.

Hosted by legendry celebrity vets in partnership with Australia’s #1 TV breakfast show, over 5 weeks we urged Aussies to enter and were spurred on by a special cameo entry from social superstar Kevin Hart who starred in the film, and his loveable pooch Roxy.

A Pet Moji allowed pet lovers to recreate what their pet would look like animated into the sequel. With a feed friendly format, Aussies turned their pets into movie stars!