Last year, Americans spent $60.28 billion on pets and pet-related products, according to the American Pet Products Association-that number is expected to increase by 4% this year.
The pet industry isn't just Fido and his water bowl anymore as pets are increasingly an integral part of American families. PetSmart's in-house team worked solely with Universal and Illumination on the campaign.
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Though the company has had license deals with other movies in the past, this is the first time it's had an exclusive retail relationship. The two-month effort will include custom packaging, pet apparel and toys, as well as special discounts on doggy day camp sessions, where PetSmart employees provide owners with a progress report on their animals' daily activity.Ī PetSmart spokeswoman declined to say how much the retailer is spending on the new campaign PetSmart spent $112.9 million on measured media in the U.S. The retailer, which was taken private in an $8.7 billion deal last year, is the exclusive seller of "The Secret Life of Pets" products. "The humanization of pets is a tremendous trend and much of what we do is based on that," said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer at PetSmart, noting that the film partners approached PetSmart over a year ago about the idea. The film stars comedians Louis C.K., Ellie Kemper and Kevin Hart. In the commercials, animals from the movie, which tells a story of what happens when pets are left to their own devices without human interaction, visit a PetSmart store. On Monday, the Phoenix-based chain plans to begin airing two 30-second animated TV spots.
The 1,450-unit retailer is collaborating with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures on a marketing campaign around the upcoming film "The Secret Life of Pets," which will hit theatres on July 8.