• by Erik Oster , November 17, 2023

Cat lovers know that our feline friends often adopt an air of superiority, and certainly aren’t going to simply do what you ask. That can sometimes pose an issue around the holidays, when guests and group photos can be disrupted by cat shenanigans.

A holiday campaign for Mars’ Temptations brand of cat treats homes in on the theme, while also paying homage to holidays past. The “Cats Lose Their Cool” campaign channels classic Christmas TV specials, with a ‘70s vibe complete with hokey costumes and saturated hues. A performance by “The Armstrong Sisters” is on the air live when a cat interrupts the performance by banging away at a piano. Naturally, the solution is to open up Temptations’ Creamy Purrrr-ee, as everyone knows the only way to get cats to behave is to bribe them with treats.

It’s a fun approach, created by agency adam&eveDDB, which applies the reliability of cat interruptions to a more outlandish scenario,  and the 40-second version of the ad really draws out the awkwardness of the faux-live interruption.

Mars’ launched the campaign to support the popular cat treat brand ahead of the holidays, as the brand introduces seasonal Holiday Creamy Purrrr-ee Bundles featuring chicken, beef and tuna flavors.

"We know that getting cats into the holiday spirit can be a challenge, so we found a way to make it – quite literally – a treat,” Jean-Paul Jansen, vice president of marketing for Mars Petcare North America, said in a statement.

In addition to the seasonal release, Temptations is offering customers who sign up for brand emails from Nov. 22-Dec. 13 access to exclusive holiday offers, and a weekly holiday gift available with the purchase of one of the Holiday Creamy Purrrr-ee Bundles.