Pet Valu is seeking to redefine the pet-toy business as a vital component of a healthy pet-owner bond by encouraging consumers to look away from their screens and play with their animal friends instead.

The “Playtime” campaign, created alongside Arrivals + Departures, consists of a series of videos showcasing a dog chasing his ball, suddenly and playfully interrupting a simulated streaming session. The spots will be distributed across multiple platforms including Corus’s specialty channel Home Network, Amazon Prime, mobile games and social media including Meta and Instagram.

The campaign creative drives viewers to a new brand website where they can access educational resources highlighting the mutual benefits of pet play. The page includes Pet Valu’s interactive toy collections, expert advice and toy recommendations as well as tips on how to foster stronger bonds and improved well-being for both pets and their owners through engaging activities.

All creative assets feature the phrase “Proudly Canadian. Proudly Local.”

The campaign is supported by digital flyers, email and in-store promotion with creative developed by Arrivals + Departures and True Media in charge of media buying.

“We created this campaign to demonstrate why toys are essential for devoted pet lovers rather than just ‘nice to have.’ With so many distractions competing for our attention, playtime with our pets can become an afterthought,” says Idan Driman, VP of marketing at Pet Valu.

“Playtime” is also a continuation of the “Love Lives Here” campaigns, which sought to elevate the brand’s image beyond that of a retail store and showcase its commitment to animal care.

Introduced in 2021, the “Love Lives Here” brand platform celebrates the strong bonds between pet owners and their furry friends. The company’s latest campaign under that platform, which debuted last November, featured a relatable in-store moment where an employee and a pet owner shared a laugh over a dog modelling stylish boots with suspenders. The campaign, which tapped into an upward trend of footwear in pet apparel, spanned conventional and connected TV with additional testing and learning on social media, Amazon Prime and Disney+ during the 2024 holiday season.

“The media and creative has been modified for this campaign but like our earlier campaigns, it always goes back to Pet Valu’s core brand differentiators,” Driman says.

According to him, the investment for the current campaign is comparable to previous initiatives such as “Moving with Pets,” which was launched last year in collaboration with Re/Max Canada through TV ads and social-media content.

Driman explains that the media plan was chosen based on a combination of creative and media factors. Amazon Prime and lifestyle programming on Home Network enabled the brand to bring to life the creative approach developed by the agency. And from a media perspective, the selection was based on performance data.