• by Larissa Faw , November 2, 2015

In November each year, Saatchi LA closes its doors for one day to serve organizations in need, and this year, the agency decided to support the Amanda Foundation, one of Los Angeles' largest pet rescue groups.

Under its pro-bono effort, Saatchi LA came up with the Digital Pawprint, a program that is based on an advertising model, using consumer data to match people online with potential pets based on different lifestyle needs and tastes.

"Modern display ads use data and browsing behavior to determine which ads and products are relevant to a specific person," says Chris Pierantozzi, creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi LA. "So Saatchi LA tapped into that technology to instead determine that person’s perfect pet. The same way digital behavior can be used to match a person’s unique lifestyle to a product, Amanda Foundation can use that data powered by programmatic media to match them with a pet that fits their specific needs, and is ready to be adopted."

For instance, one ad shows a rescue dog under the tagline, "I like watching games just like you" to indicate to sports lovers that this dog would be a good fit.

This project is an example, and hopefully a larger industry trend, of how data can be used efficiently and creatively in non-intrusive ways to solve for societal good, says Pierantozzi. Plus, while it is important for animals to be adopted into loving homes, it is more critical that they go into the right homes. Factors like age, family status, and hobbies mean some people and animals aren’t a great match. Therefore this program ensures for more appropriate matches.

The work was also an important passion project for the agency, as an office that has always had pet-friendly policies, says Pierantozzi. The Amanda Foundation originally became part of Saatchi’s annual Good Day charity event after one of its staff adopted a dog from them.

Earlier this year, the agency completely rebranded the foundation, highlighting its core missions, redesigned its logo and website. It also gave the group’s "Spaymobile" a new look and overhauled its social platforms. The creative team also developed a print ad campaign that ran in national outlets.

Although the Digital Pawprint was developed specifically for Los Angeles dogs, the agency says the campaign could certainly work for other animal shelters and rescues across the country. That said, they don’t plan on rolling it out to other cities at this time.

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