Our mission was clear. Give a voice to the unwanted pets that are cared for by Blue Cross.

The 60-second ad showing the hope of our unwanted dog, Baxter, surviving premiered during The X-Factor and it prompted outpourings of sympathy on social media. One Twitter user posted: 'Baxter literally breaks my heart. I want him!!'

Accompanying the Blue Cross' advert was a social media campaign featuring animals fist-bumping humans in solidarity with Baxter. We launched the hashtag by sharing a photo of a tiny kitten putting its paw up against a finger, which quickly inspired pet owners to join in and share adorable snaps of their pets. #suppawt

PAWS FOR THOUGHT WITH RHYS IFANS AND BAXTER
Hollywood actor Rhys Ifans who plays the voice of a neglected dog in the Blue Cross TV advert, greets four-legged star canine Baxter with a “paw bump”. We then asked animal lovers to share a photo of their pet giving them a paw bump followed by #suppawt on social media, to show their support for pets that are not as lucky as their own. 

Baxter took over our Twitter handle for the launch month and responded to those who tweeted him.

IMPACT
23% increase in website traffic, over 10,000 more supporters, over 8000 additional regular givers, 40% increase of Twitter followers, 23% increase of Facebook likes and over 1mill views of the advert on YouTube right after launch.