This work is relevant for MEDIA because it turns an ad for humans in traditional media like Outdoor, into an innovative experience specially designed for the main consumer of the product: the dog. The idea lowers the barrier of purchase for the dog owner by providing a means of communication between the brand and the end-consumer (your fluffy best friend!) that has previously not been possible. The result is a direct path to purchase by relying on what your beloved dog loves the most, a strategic way to understand the difference between consumer and shopper within the pet food category.

Relative to the population, Finland has the most dogs in the world. It is estimated that there are up to 950,000 dogs as pets in Finland. Needless to say, Finns love their dogs and see them truly as members of the family. This fact puts pressure on brands operating in the pet product category to prove that the brand understands dogs and has their best interest at heart. Ultimately, the brand that manages to understand the owner-pet relationship the best will win in this highly competitive market. Second, this ground-breaking initiative tackles the issue of food wastage in the canine culinary world. When dogs reject purchased food at home, it often leads to nearly full bags of dog food going to waste. The vending machine acts as a solution to this problem, providing a fun, safe, and practical way for dogs and owners to find the perfect match, allowing dogs to taste food in advance will reduce the amount of food waste in the future.

SITUATION: Hau-Hau Champion is a dog food brand with the mission of providing every dog with the perfect food option. The brand's philosophy states that every dog has the right to enjoy great-tasting and healthy food. Every aspect of the brand’s operation is designed to make sure this way of thinking comes to life. Hau-Hau Champion hosts a vast range of products with varying options for different diets, breeds, and dog sizes. Finding the right food option for your pet has proven to be challenging according to pet owners.

OBJECTIVE: Hau-Hau Champion set its sights on finding new and innovative ways of helping dog owners find the perfect food options for their beloved pets.

BRIEF: Using tech and a strong insight to develop an innovative way to allow dogs to try their food before it's bought, and to match the trite and healthiest king of kibbles for each dog,

The idea took the form of a vending machine in the shape of a cartoonish dog house, providing an enticing product trial experience for the "consumer".

A canine face recognition system, powered by AI, scans the dog's head resulting in an algorithm recognizing the dog’s size. After this, the system selects the tastiest and the healthiest kind of kibbles according to each pet. The AI canine facial recognition ensures that the vending machine dispenses kibbles only to dogs, not, for example, to cats or children playing near the machine.

A sample of the selected food is served for the dog to try and react to. After every product trial, the machine disinfects the bowl with a sanitizing blue UV light, making the bowl ready and safe for the next customer.

By syncing their smartphones with the machine, owners could buy their best friend’s new favorite food with just one touch.

TARGET: Dog owners whom take a leap of faith and buy a new food option for their pet to try.

APPROACH: Hau-Hau Champion main media target was shifted from the owner to the pet. The brand had to find a way for the pet to be able to tell the owner whether the new food option was to their liking, this way lowering the barrier for the owner to try the new option.

MEDIA PLANNING: Set in the largest malls and outdoor routes, so the pet could lead the owner to the machine by relying on the senses the dogs utilize the most: hearing, smell, and taste. The initiative was accompanied by outdoor and social ads that directed pet owners to the vending machine for free product trials, also supported by a strong PR campaign, including Finland's largest commercial radio, whose morning show invited dog owners to try the machine.

PLACEMENT & TIMELINE: The Dog Vending Machine provided enticing product trial experiences to Finnish pets throughout February and March in Finland's largest shopping centers and along the most popular outdoor routes. This way the pet could lead the owner to the Dog Vending machine by relying on the senses the dogs utilize the most: hearing, smell, and taste.

IMPLEMENTATION: The Dog Vending Machine was accompanied by a selection of outdoor and social media ads that directed pet owners to the vending machine for free product trials. The execution was also supported by a strong PR campaign, which included, for example, Finland's largest commercial radio, whose morning show invited dog owners to try the machine.

Hau-Hau Champion is a part of VAFO Group, a leading European premium pet food producer. The Dog Vending Machine functioned as a pilot project for an even more large-scale launch to follow in all European markets.

Over 10 million media and social reach

+25% sales increase - compared to last year - equivalent to €650,000

35% of Finnish dog owners reached

Food was home-delivered from more than 2000 partner stores across Finland.

The machine served as a pilot project in Hau-Hau Champion’s quest to reduce the waste of dog food, and in the future, we’ll see it in use not only in Finland but also in other parts of Europe.

Outdoor provided the natural way of reaching our main target audience, the pet. The Dog Food Vending Machine was set in the largest malls and pet outdoor routes, relies on the senses that dogs utilise the most (smell, hearing, and taste) to engage them in an enticing product trial experience. By using technology and relying on a strong insight, we realized that the human is the shopper, but the real customer is the dog, and Outdoor was the perfect media to set up this innovative media experience.