As an automaker with a long history of helping shelter pets, Subaru launched National Make A Dog’s Day in 2019, shining a spotlight on “harder-to-adopt” shelter dogs—the older, deaf, blind and "different" dogs that have been lovingly called the "Underdogs"—to help them find loving homes. Each year since then, Subaru has invited dog owners to do something special for their beloved canine on October 22 and share their happy dog on social media using #MakeADogsDay.

In 2022, our job was to breathe new life into this campaign while continuing to drive awareness of Underdogs, shifting perceptions that they aren’t worth adopting.

The idea was simple. Disrupt the normally fast paced world of social media with a :60 video that viscerally makes viewers feel the long wait that older and disabled shelter dogs must face as they wait to be adopted.

Each year, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide. Of those animals, nearly 25% are euthanized without having a chance to find a loving home. And older and disabled shelter dogs face a far longer road to adoption - if they're adopted at all. Subaru, a longtime partner of the ASPCA, and a car brand whose drivers are more likely to own a dog, was determined to help end this discrimination and raise awareness of these dogs’ plight.

By portraying lone shelter dogs simply waiting - and waiting on vast, desolate roads, we created an unforgettable visual metaphor for the long, lonely road unwanted shelter dogs must travel. These films aired in unskippable media so viewers couldn’t help but feel the loneliness these animals endure while waiting to be adopted.

As a result of this year’s campaign, over 47,000 animals were adopted and 7% were Underdogs. This was a new record, and a 30% increase in adoptions YOY. The campaign also drove over $1.6M in donations to Subaru retailers’ local shelter partners. 94% of non-Subaru owners said they liked the ad in copytesting, beating the industry norm of 60%. In social, the campaign created a +6% lift in brand preference among viewers on TikTok, and a +43% lift in (unaided) brand awareness on Twitch. The campaign provided a significant lift to Subaru’s brand health in the month of October, increasing its conversation volume & relevance by 11% and boosting net sentiment by 5%.

It is one of the ASPCA’s most successful adoption partnerships to date, resulting in thousands of older and disabled shelter dogs finally finding the homes they deserve.