Leo Burnett Canada orchestrated a Meow-a-Thon for Meow mix

Canadian cat food brand Meow Mix and Leo Burnett Toronto are putting cat lovers to the ultimate test: How much do you truly love your cat? Enough to listen to the Meow Mix jingle for 12 hours straight?

The Meow Mix jingle has been a staple in cat-loving households for over 50 years. Now, Meow Mix is cranking up the nostalgia, inviting you to show your devotion by listening to that catchy tune for half a day—and you could earn free Meow Mix products. It’s called the “Meow-a-Thon”.

The 12-hour Meow-A-Thon video will be served as a pre-roll on YouTube and available on the Meow Mix website for cat lovers who want to earn cat food for their fur baby. Coupon codes will be revealed throughout the video as audio only, so you must listen for the rewards. In total, 19 unique coupons are up for grabs, with the codes varying in value as you watch and listen. For those dedicated enough to make it to the end, there’s an exclusive Ultimate Reward Pack containing a variety of Meow Mix products. However, both the regular coupons and the Ultimate Reward Packs are limited, so if you miss a code, you’ll need to stay tuned to catch the next one before supplies run out.

“At Meow Mix, we understand the deep bond between cats and their owners,” said Adam Zitney, Vice President, Marketing at J.M. Smucker. “The ‘Meow-a-Thon’ taps into that connection, offering a unique and engaging way for pet parents to demonstrate their loyalty while reinforcing our commitment to providing the delicious products their cats love.”

For this campaign, the iconic 1980s jingle was re-recorded using real voice talent to stay true to the original, delivering a nostalgic tune that resonates with cat devotees.

“Everyone knows and loves the Meow Mix jingle, but listening to anything for 12 hours is no easy task. The Meow-a-Thon is a fun way for the brand to show that they know how deep people’s cat love goes, and now it’s giving them a chance to prove it by not pressing skip on the longest pre-roll possible,” said Steve Persico, Chief Creative Officer, at Leo Burnett, Toronto, who created the project in partnership with Meow Mix.

“It’s an iconic, nostalgic brand asset which is being used in a way it never has before to create a new and different experience. And while the Meow-a-Thon is definitely a test of endurance, there’s lots of fun hidden throughout to keep your attention while you collect rewards,” adds Kohl Forsberg, Executive Creative at Leo.

The campaign launched on Oct. 1, and the 12-hour video will run as a YouTube pre-roll ad for four weeks.

Meow Mix is a J.M. Smucker Co. brand.

Leo Burnett Canada is a creative consultancy using strategy, design thinking, communications and experience design to solve complex business challenges through creativity. Leo Burnett Canada is part of a global network of over 200 operating units and 96 full-service agencies in 85 countries and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe (www.publicisgroupe.com).

Credits:

Title: Meow Mix Meow-a-Thon

Client: Smucker Foods of Canada Corp.
Brand: Meow Mix
Product/Service: Cat Food
Type of Ad: OLV
Date of First Appearance: October 1, 2024

Client: Smucker Foods of Canada Corp.
VP Marketing: Adam Zitney
Marketing Director: Leah Milne
Sr. Manager, Integrated Media & Intelligence: Sarah Brown
Sr. Brand Manager: Marla Shore
Assistant Brand Manager: Jenny Thorne

Agency: Leo Burnett Toronto
President: Ben Tarr
Managing Director, Account Service: Natasha Dagenais
Chief Strategy Officer: Tahir Ahmad
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Persico
Executive Creative Director: Kohl Forsberg
Senior Art Director: Jerry Yang
Senior Copywriter: Michael Carrey
Executive Producer: Emma Du Boisson
Producer: Mike Spilchuk
VP Group Account Director: Daniel Zimmerman
Account Director: Krzysztof Iwanicki
Account Supervisor: Bianca LaPenna
Digital Project Director: Thomas Degez
Digital Project Manager: Lovina Agarwal
Web Developer: David Freedman
Digital Designer: Carrie Ma

Production Company / Editorial: Leo Productions
VP, Post & Print Production: Gord Cathmoir
Executive Producer: Janice Rebelo
Senior Developer / Editor & Animation: Dan Purdy
Editor: Jon Krogh

Audio House: Eggplant
Sound Director: Adam Damelin
Chief Audio Engineer: Nathan Handy
Audio Engineer: Peter Pacey
Executive Producer: Nicola Treadgold
Producer: Laura Merrett
Associate Producer: Nick Nadeau

Media Partner: Spark Foundry
SVP Media Planning: Paul Hewitt
Group Account Director: Elesia Stewart
Sr. Media Planner: Verun Pillai
Sr. Media Planner: Penny Pensotes
Media Planner: Mackensie Leszczynski
Social Specialist: Serhii Mordak