These days you see dogs everywhere. One out of three commercials on TV includes a dog. In fact, advertising featuring dogs has become a $31 billion market (mediaartsliterary.com). Not too shabby, huh?
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What’s up with that?
Advertising genius Bob Brooks once said that dogs and babies are in so many commercials because people respond to them.
Indeed, dogs are replacing beautiful people and yes, even children, in the commercial market.
A 2010 article at Entrepreneur.com listed four reasons why man’s best friend is a great advertising personality:
- Dogs make you look
- Dogs engage your emotions
- People trust dogs
- Dog lovers feel a kinship
When I started this blog, I chose to let Rumpy be the voice instead of me because Rumpy gets heard. And let’s be honest, Rumpy can get away with saying things that I NEVER could. The same is true for dogs in commercials.
But there are other reasons why dogs are making a big impression in the advertising world. Dogs work for less than people. Dogs on average are paid a flat day rate of between $50 and $400. Compare that to $600 for a child in a union commercial.
Dogs are not apt to bring negative publicity to a brand, unlike a celebrity behaving badly. Can you say, “Lance Armstrong?”
We think dogs make great spokespersons because we’ve changed the way we think about companion animals. In 2009, disposable incomes dropped 3.2%, and yet three of the four pet-related industries experienced growth (ibisworld.com).
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So, the next time you’re looking to get your message across, maybe you should ask your dog to do it for you. It works for me.
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Dogpaddling Through Life 
hello Rumpydog
un petit bonjour de france en ce vendredi
bien à vous
Awww, how sweet 🙂
Love an ad with a dog in it, especially a Boxer 🙂
I’m partial to Arctic dogs myself! 🙂
I love commercials with dogs! It’s true!
Rumpy’s face would certainly have me off buying anything 😀
Rumpy… I’ve seen this lovely bridge, called the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I think… you could sell it to me, pls?
That’ll be 20 cookies please!
Dogs are better looking than bipeds and we talk more sense than most of them, woof!
True that Clowie!
I would be scared not to buy if Rumpy told me to!!
Austin’s got the hump now!! lol
Uh oh!
Rumpy and Rumpy’s mom, you are so right and thanks for sharing that article and observation. Even in catalogs (despite “cat” being in the word, ::ahem::) it’s always dogs. However..much to our delight, Mom Julie got her paws on an IKEA catalog and found a cat! Now, what does that say? We’re making inroads..just give us time, Rumpy! (altho if you’re in an ad, we’d buy the product, no matter what it was!)
Tom
June Buggie says it’s not fair. If there are so many cute cat pics on Facebook, why is it dogs making the big bucks?
You’re very right! In Japane, one of the most popular commercilas is the one from “Softbank” company which is a mobile phone company. In the commercial, the main character is ‘Kai-Inu’ who looks like ‘Shiba-Inu’. The dog plays his role as a father in a family and the other family memebers are real humans. Very funny commercial and there are many products of the father Dog.
Ctas, too very popular for TV commercilas here!!! 🙂
gotta tell ya….cats aren’t doing too shabby either 🙂
Stella the Great Newfenees here via my scribe, who is jealous because more people come to her bookshop to see me than to buy books. But I’ve been trained not to let anyone out until they buy something, so it’s a win-win, as they say in the advertising world, BOL!
Awesome!!! You’re a great spokesdog, Rumpy. You should be in commercials too. 🙂
We think thast cats need to claw back the advertisement business from those dogs. saying that we LOVE Harvey and his Rabbit. Friends Alalapupalala!
Dog commercials are my favorite…except for I also like that kitty food one where the kitty goes on a magic trip where she meets all the animals that are in her food. But maybe that is also weird…
BRB, I have to go take some headshots of Eko – Hollywood, here we come!
I wish my furry beast could pay for my retirement.
This is one my favorite dog commercials.
Oh my Dog! That is priceless!
When are you going to get your spot, Rumpy. A popular dog like you surely deserves a chunk of that change!
Don’t I wish? Think of all the cookies I could buy!
The manipulation in advertising is a very powerful tool.
I’m not manipulative! Unless I want a cookie! woo woo woo!
Okay Rumpy, even I have to admit I love doggy commercials!
woo woo woo!
Let’s face it; dogs rule and everyone loves them, right?
Absolutely!
you better ask our cats (uh, not “our”, we’re “theirs”) milli-&-“the pillow” that question next time!
nawwwww…cats still have it Rumpy, sorry to say it…
That’s so cool! All us dogs are getting so famous they’ve got to use our dog buddies in commercials.
You are a good dog. I think you make a good spokesperson and I like your message. Plus it looks like you give good hugs.
I do! And great face kisses!
You do a sloppy good job.
Yep! I gotta agree! My cell phone is serviced by one of the top companies that uses dogs for advertising! I LOVE Fido commercials! I do confess, it was the dogs that got my attention!
I’m also a pushover for a photo or video of dogs. But, I’m speaking up for your adorable cats … “Equal time for cats.”
Cats? Poo!
I love the ads with dogs. It’s just that sometimes I am so interested in the dogs I forget the product.
no wundur you stumbuld awnto my site! i’ll try to post MORE of rocksea & dooly and da slev, (but will keep the cat photo quotient up as well — boo!)