Dogs Trust is running an immersive Virtual Reality experience to engage the public and demonstrate the impact donors can have for the thousands of dogs each year that the charity cares for.

Created for Dogs Trust by GOOD Agency and launched at The Ideal Home Show in London in November, people were given the chance to experience Dogs Trust rehoming centres as they had never seen them before.

The film places the audience in the middle of the rehoming centre, allowing them to experience the care, attention and love each of the dogs receive in the state-of-the-art facilities, It offers a rare behind the scenes glimpse into the care and facilities that Dogs Trust give to the UK’s favourite four-legged friends.

Following on from the launch, Dogs Trust will roll this VR experience out to face-to-face fundraising campaigns deploying the V R experience in locations across the UK.

Reuben Turner, creative director of GOOD Agency, says: “Virtual Reality is the perfect tool to rouse the curiosity of passers-by and make them want to investigate. It’s completely new for Dogs Trust, but shows the important work they do in a fun and uplifting way – and we hope it helps the face-to-face fundraisers attract lots of new sponsors.”

Kayleigh Barker, Head of Donor Acquisition at Dogs Trust, observes: “Sponsor a Dog is a hugely important scheme for Dogs Trust and we needed to engage busy people going about their days. This VR experience will show people the incredible work that really happens in our centres, something we couldn’t offer in real life.”

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Pet insurer MORE TH>N (More Than) has launched the Pet Paws-Port Photo Booth, a free service offering dog owners the chance to have a high-quality passport photo taken of their pet pooch.

The insurers point out that pet passports have doubled over the past two years, and that one in 10 owners is considering taking their dog away with them this summer.

Located in Victoria Park, one of London’s dog walking hotspots, the Paws-Port photo booth is an experiential activation aimed at promoting the company’s insurance services for pets.

Owners and dogs who want to take advantage of the offer will first be directed to a dog grooming station, where pet stylists and groomers will be on hand to prep pets that come along to ensure they are looking their best in front of the camera. Haircuts, brushing and grooming will be available, but MORE TH>N is asking owners to ensure their dog has had a bath the night before, to make the job of grooming a lot easier for both stylists and dogs.

Once prepped and ready, dogs will pose for their photo in the Pet Paws-Port Booth, which includes:

• A pet friendly basket adjustable seat catering for any size dog, to ensure dogs both big and small can be seen on the camerw;
• A speaker which will play a variety of noises such as dogs barking and whistles being blown to alert the dogs to the camera
• Peep holes next to the camera containing squeaky balls which owners can squeeze to get their dog’s attention, and raw meat to heighten their senses
• A drawn curtain to give the dog privacy prior to being snapped;
• A viewing window to help owners encourage their pets to look at the camera;
• Toys and treats on hand for distraction;
• Touch screen camera capability which dog owners can control with the ability to post pictures to social media directly from the booth.

Resulting photos which will be available in squares of four for owners to take home and use in their pet’s passport.

The Pet Paws-Port Photo Booth will be located at The Hub Café, Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3 5TB between 11.00am and 4.00pm on Thursday June 22 2017. The event will not be ticketed; instead, a queuing system will be in place throughout the day to ensure everyone gets a perfect picture of their pet.

The Pet Paws-Port Photo Booth will also be making an appearance at DogFest, the UK summer festival for dogs and owners, on June 24 and 25 at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire (see http://dog-fest.co.uk/hertfordshire).

In January 2017, MORE TH>N launched what it said was the world’s first ever city tour bus for dogs, with every element of the experience designed to appeal to man’s best friend, in London. The tour was created to promote MORE TH>N DOGGYSSENTI>LS, a new pet care and protection offering which the insurer claims provides “all the essential items for a happy and healthy dog, delivered direct to your door each month.”

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A new experiential marketing company, VIP (Very Important Pooches), has launched to offer brands a route to target dogs and their owners.

VIP will be appearing at more than 30 events this summer, kicking off with PugFest – the UK’s only official pug festival – on June 18^th. The agency plans to run a VIP Zone, a dedicated event space offering an array of attractions for pooches, at each event. The VIP Zone will feature a VIP bar offering treats, Snuffle brand dog beer and pooch-friendly ‘pawsecco’; fun for four-legged guests in need of refreshment to unwind, including a giant four-metre tennis ball, ball pond and paddling pool; and a glamorous red carpet area and pooch photo booth for VIP selfies, allowing dog owners to capture and share their VIP experience.

All visitors to the VIP Zone receive a free doggie bag of exclusive samples, goodies and promotional vouchers from the industry’s biggest brands. W

Maria Amany, VIP event co-ordinator, says: “We believe every pooch is a VIP. That’s why we’re so excited to be launching The VIP experience at shows across the UK this summer. We look forward to welcoming and meeting thousands of very important pooches and their owners to enjoy all of the attractions and free treats in our VIP Zone.

With the UK’s 8.5 million dog owners spending more on their pets each year, the dog product market is booming. A January 2017 U.S. study found that the average dog owner uploads a picture or posts about their pet on social media six times per week, while one in ten have even created a social media account for their pet. VIP points to the rise of dedicated pet social media sites such as Dogster and MyDogSpace as evidence that the UK’s dogs are more valued than ever before, both by their owners and by the pet industry’s leading brands.

VIP is a bespoke marketing and promotions agency working solely within the dog marketplace. Its mission is to deliver outstanding promotional campaigns for clients using a suite of proven marketing approaches to build brand awareness with dog owners and drive sales. It aims to use online and offline channels to create an integrated marketing network that will enable VIP and its brand partners to target 8.5 million dog owners across the UK. With a focus on sampling through local dog shows and events, VIP plans to develop a comprehensive database and use sophisticated data analysis to provide both VIP the agency and its brand partners with insights into product trends as well as information for product development and marketing.

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UK pet charity Blue Cross has linked up with a PT and fitness instructor to create a new fitness bootcamp, Work Out Like A Dog, designed to help humans understand and appreciate the health benefits that dogs get from their favourite outdoor activities – by literally having people take on the role of dogs.

The class was commissioned from trainer Born Barikor by the charity to raise awareness of how exercise keeps dogs healthy and happy. High numbers of dogs arrive at the Blue Cross centres across the country due to behavioural needs stemmed from under-stimulus or lack of appropriate activities and exercise. Work Out Like A Dog  is the world’s first exercise class in which humans exercise like dogs – chasing a ball and bringing it back again and again and again, dashing around aimlessly, having a good old dig.

The exercises (which can be viewed on YouTube) last for 45-minutes and include aerobic and conditioning activities for humans which have either been adapted from a dog’s favourite exercises or have been directly inspired by man’s best friend. They include HIIT ball fetch, tug-of-war, Frisbee and a canine circuit routine.

Work Out Like A Dog combines full-body strength training with high intensity cardio bursts to tone, improve endurance and fill participants with positive energy – in much the same way that regular exercise helps dogs stay not just physically but emotionally healthy too.

The bootcamp will be running daily from Monday January 30^th to Friday February 3^rd  at 7.30am in London’s Victoria Park, meeting at the Park Pavilion. Spots are available to book via EventBrite with a suggested donation of £5 to Blue Cross. There is also a workout sheet available to download from Blue Cross for those who can’t make it to the classes.

Sarah Dickinson, Head of Media Relations for Blue Cross, says: “We hope the Work Out Like A Dog bootcamp will be an eye-opener for dog owners and would-be dog owners. Humans can communicate when they feel frustrated or want a change of scenery; if they need to let off steam with a good long run they just head out and do it. By contrast, most pet dogs are completely reliant on us picking up signals that they require some stimulation or have to spend some energy. This workout should remind everyone what a huge emotional and physical difference it can make when we get that right!”

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Insurance brand More Than has launched what it claims is the world’s first ever city tour bus for dogs, with every element of the experience designed to appeal to man’s best friend, in London.

The tour was created to promote MORE TH>N DOGGYSSENTI>LS, a new pet care and protection offering which the insurer claims provides “all the essential items for a happy and healthy dog, delivered direct to your door each month.”

Owners and their dogs were invited to sign up online for tickets for the tours via London-focused ticketing website www.billetto.co.uk. Tickets, offered on a first come, first served basis, entitled two humans and one large dog or two small dogs to experience a whistle-stop sightseeing experience of London last week, with three tours a day over three days (January 17th through 19th).

The carefully crafted bus route picked up passengers by Lambeth Palace and then took in some of London’s best parks and city centre dog walking spots, including Hyde Park, Kensington Palace Gardens and Green Park. Along the way, live onboard commentary for dog owners explored London’s canine history, including the ministerial dogs of Downing Street, the many corgis that have shared Buckingham Palace with the Queen, the location of London’s only dog cemetery and the home of the Kennel Club, with London’s biggest collection of dog paintings.

The route itself centred on a number of London’s most scenic dog-walking hotspots, including Hyde Park and Green Park, for owners to disembark the bus and take their pooch for a stroll if they chose. Guests were also provided with a handy leaflet mapping dog-friendly pubs, bars and restaurants in the area, where owner and dog can refuel together post-walk.

To celebrate the launch of MORE TH>N DOGGYSSENTI>LS, every dog owner joining the bus tour was also gifted a travel-size version of the MORE TH>N DOGGYSSENTI>LS box, containing treats and throwing balls.

More Than’s PR company, Cow PR, came up with the idea for the tour and created and executed it.

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British pet food company Lily’s Kitchen is donating 100 tonnes of its dog and cat food over the next three months as part of a new nationwide charity initiative, called ‘Dinner’s On Us’.

Lily’s is asking consumers to nominate deserving cat and dog charities and will be giving out at least 650,000 meals. The initiative is part of a wider company programme called ‘Acts Of Goodness’, intended to highlight how successful businesses can be a ‘force for good’.

Henrietta Morrison, CEO and founder of Lily’s Kitchen, says: “As dedicated pet lovers at Lily’s Kitchen, nothing saddens us more than a pet in need and nothing brings more joy to us than helping less fortunate pets when we are able to. There are thousands of wonderful organizations, events, and people in the UK quietly doing great work to support pets in need and we want to recognize and applaud their efforts, so please help us to help them.”

Anyone can recommend a deserving pet charity for ‘Dinner’s On Us’ by visiting www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/acts-of-goodness/dinners-on-us. Visitors can check in to see the number of meals that have been donated so far and view images of the various charities and dogs and cats that they have helped by taking the time to nominate.

The campaign is also on Twitter with the hashtag #ActsOfGoodness

The promotion runs throughout February, March and April 2016. Charities receiving donations may be based in the UK or in Europe and some

A meal applies to a complete (not complementary) food, calculated based on either a 3yr old 16.5kg dog or a 1.5yr old 4kg cat.

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UK male fashion brand Turnbull & Asser has revived a promotion from the 1930s to help raise money for canine charity Dogs Trust this Christmas.

Customers can now order bespoke pocket squares (handkerchiefs) with the picture of their dog on. There are three bespoke styles to choose from: Doggy Warhol, Renaissance Dog and Polka Dog.

The bespoke pocket squares can be ordered instore at the brand’s three London outlets or its New York branch, or over the phone. Once ordered and paid for, customers send a digital image of their dog to T&A’s Man’s Best Friend team, who will process the order. The pocket squares are made from 100% silk and printed in Macclesfield, England.

Turnbull & Asser will be donating 10% of the profit from all UK sales to Dogs Trust, the UK’s biggest canine charity, founded in 1891 and formerly known as the National Canine Defence League.

The fashion house says the idea for the promotion came from a 1931 advertisement found in its archives which offered customers the chance to have their dogs pictures put on fabric.

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