To set itself apart from others in the crowded pet foods space, Go! Solutions has strayed from the standard functional message to one with more emotional appeal.

That is the core direction for the brand’s “Feeling Good Feels Good” campaign, which was developed with creative agency Will and launched earlier this week.

Rather than getting too into the weeds on the nutritional aspects of its food as many others in the space do, the Petcurean-owned brand shifted the focus to demonstrate “what real relief looks like – and feels like – for both pets and their parents,” says Danielle Haythorne, the agency’s creative director.

“The pet food category is filled with brands that have strikingly similar functional offerings and advertising,” she tells strategy. “For Petcurean, it was important to take an emotional approach to communicating that their Go! Solutions offerings are solely focused on tailored solutions that improve pets’ quality of life.”

To hammer home that message, the campaign – which is anchored around a series of 30-second spots running across social and OLV – places its focus on the pets, and what they look like when they are happy and healthy.

“Being a pet owner is a deeply emotional experience. Unfortunately, too many pet owners know how scary it can be when their pet isn’t feeling themselves,” explains Haythorne. “We knew that in a category filled with nutritional benefits and recipe promises, that pet parents would connect to the joy that both they and their pets experience when they’re feeling their best.”

The campaign targets people across North America who are in their late 30s to early 40s, with a slight skew toward female audiences. The goal of the campaign is to grow the brand’s market share through long-term and ongoing sales by showing how Go! Solutions can deliver that as “a full solution from prevention to resolving specific health concerns.”