Global pet food brand, Whiskas, has introduced a new 'breed' of dog, the 'Meowzer', in response to search data indicating a growing demand for low-maintenance dogs.

According to Whiskas New Zealand's Bianca Malcolm, searches for 'lazy dog breeds that can be left alone' have doubled in the past year and are predicted to increase another 50% by the end of this year.

The Meowzer - actually, a cat - is part of Whiskas' global goal of ending pet homelessness, preventing dogs from being returned to shelters due to incompatibility, and helping potential pet parents find their perfect adoptable cat instead. The Meowzer was launched on social media by influencer Elias Weiss Friedman, Founder of The Dogist and New York Times Bestselling Author, while audio creator Puppysongs created a Meowzer song for TikTok. The campaign will be supported by more dog and cat influencers, outdoor posters and digital OOH, and all points to the Meowzer website.

The website then uses a smart matching algorithm to match potential adopters to the right Meowzers for them. Based on their digital footprint, users are served short content films created with production partner, BUCK, which reveal the Meowzer to be the perfect answer to their search.

"People are looking for dogs that don’t bark, don’t need to be walked, don’t need to be trained, and are happy for long stretches at home – in other words, they’re looking for a cat,” said Whiskas New Zealand digital demand director, Bianca Malcolm. This insight led to the creation of the Meowzer, a 'dog' that meets these criteria.

“Wherever people are searching for their ideal low-maintenance dog, we’re making sure they meet a Meowzer instead. By intercepting common search terms, the Meowzer is presented as the answer to every ‘impossible’ dog search,” explained Colenso BBDO Group Creative Director, Kimberley Ragan, said. “We realised the perfect dog already exists. All it needed was a name change."

The campaign was created in partnership with Colenso BBDO, BUCK, Franklin Rd, Essence Mediacom, and Porter Novelli New Zealand.