Star of “27 Dresses” and “Grey’s Anatomy” plays a couples therapist with insight into the feline mind.
In a campaign for new Cat’s Pride® Fresh & Light Ultimate Care® to launch its new, lightweight litter, Emmy Award-winning actress Katherine Heigl stars as a couples therapist with an uncanny talent for resolving relationship issues between pet owners and their cats. Four tongue-in-cheek spots were produced by Chicago-based agency Magnani Continuum Marketing in partnership with Bully Pictures, based in Santa Monica, and directed by Anne Fletcher, who previously directed Heigl in the hit comedy 27 Dresses. The campaign tagline is “Cats are Complicated. Great Litter is Simple.”
The spots feature Heigl as a recurring character—a cat/owner couples therapist—who helps owners have a more meaningful and positive relationship with their cats. She continually reinforces how using the best-performing Fresh & Light Ultimate Care® can reduce tensions all around and create healthier interactions between cats and their people. In one spot, a woman complains that her feline companion is “emotionally unavailable.” Heigl, interpreting for the cat, says that the problem is that the litter box too dusty. She suggests Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care as the antidote to domestic discord. In another spot, Heigl explores “communication issues” between a man and a cat named Tiffany, and concludes “she wants a better smelling litter box.” Again Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care is the solution.
"We loved this concept because it plays with the interesting and very real tension that exists between cats and their people, especially around litter box issues. And, of course, we all want to know what these complicated creatures are really thinking,” says Justin Daab, president of Magnani Continuum Marketing. "As you see in the spots, the good news is that Cat's Pride—with a little help from Ms. Heigl—can help solve the litter box tensions. As for the rest of relationship, well, it's obviously still up in the air as to who's in charge."
Heigl is a natural choice as a Cat’s Pride spokesperson. Along with being a gifted comedic actress, she is an animal advocate and co-founder and CEO of the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation™, a non-profit organization, named for her late brother, that seeks to end the needless suffering of animals. “Her activism on behalf of animals aligns perfectly with Cat’s Pride’s interests in animal welfare,” adds Daab.
Anne Fletcher directs the spots with dry, deadpan humor. “We wanted to make it funny, while keeping the tone authentic,” she explains. “They’re serious therapy sessions only instead of husband and wife, it’s owner and pet…and the straight-faced therapist just happens to speak cat.”
In casting the pet owners, Fletcher looked for actors with strong improvisational skills. “Katherine has a wonderful talent for improv and I wanted to be sure that whoever was playing opposite her had that ability as well,” she explains. “Plus, when you have a cat on the scene, anything can happen, so we needed actors who were ready to go with the flow.”
This marks the first time Magnani Continuum Marketing and Bully Pictures have collaborated on a client campaign. Both the client and agency are pleased with the creative work, according to Daab. “Anne Fletcher was super creative and contributed great ideas,” he says. “We had a wonderful experience working with Bully Pictures. They were flexible, well organized and delivered a great product.”
About Bully Pictures
Bully Pictures is a full-service commercial broadcast, web viral, branded content production company located in Santa Monica, California. The company’s roster includes Javier Aguilera, Dustin Lance Black, Fredrik Callinggard, Peter Care, Anne Fletcher, Gaute Hesthagen, Justin Simien, Taylor Steele, Morten Tyldum, Tripp & Tyler, Sebastian Weiland, and Erik Van Wyk. For more information, write info@bullypictures.com
About Magnani Continuum Marketing
Since 1985, Magnani Continuum Marketing has made it easier for organizations selling in highly technical and complex markets to deliver the most effective and seamless B2B and B2C traditional and digital brand experiences. With research, strategy, creative, digital and programming – all in house, right in our office – we offer the most integrated service-driven, creative agency experience, anywhere. More digital than advertising agencies. More strategic than digital marketing shops. More creative than management consultants. And a heck of a lot easier to work with than almost all of them.
Video Credits
Advertiser: Oil-Dri Corporation of America, Cat’s Pride
Agency: Magnani Continuum Marketing, Chicago
Justin Daab, President (Partner); Brian Riley, Executive Creative Director (Partner); Lauren Stegmeyer, Creative Director; Sara Quoss Martin, Director of Client Services; Justin Jurek, Director of User Experience and Web Development; Leah Shipley, Senior Account Executive
Production: Bully Pictures, Santa Monica, CA.
Anne Fletcher, director; Jason Forest, Executive Producer.
Jason Forest
Executive Producer
Bully Pictures
310 395 6500
Contact Jason via email
Justin Daab
President
Magnani Continuum Marketing
312 957 0770
Contact Justin via email
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More