Podcast Summary: The Big Impression

Episode: "Pedigree’s Natalia Ball on turning an underdog into a Titanium Lion"

Host: The Current (Damian Fowler & Ilyse Liffreing)
Guest: Natalia Ball, Global Chief Growth Officer at Mars Pet Nutrition
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Pedigree’s award-winning "Caramello" campaign in Brazil—a purpose-driven movement that celebrated mixed-breed dogs and challenged cultural biases in dog adoption. Host Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing talk with Natalia Ball, who led the campaign, examining how a local insight sparked a national shift, ignited viral momentum, and delivered both business and social impact, ultimately earning Pedigree a coveted Titanium Lion at Cannes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Campaign Genesis: Championing the "Caramello"

• Cultural Insight:
  • Caramellos (mixed-breed, caramel-colored dogs) are beloved in Brazil, yet 90% less likely to be adopted than pedigree breeds.
    • “It is the most popular dog in Brazil, but the most overlooked.” (Natalia, [00:57])
  • The term "Viralata" refers to mixed breeds, seen as street dogs rather than pets.
  • Pedigree saw the injustice and decided to champion Caramellos, aiming to change perceptions and adoption rates.
• Bold Move:
  • “If Caramellos were considered non-breeding, Pedigree was going to give them a breed. And who better to give them a breed than Pedigree, right?” (Natalia, [01:52])

2. Translating Insight to Action

• History of Adoption Advocacy:
  • Pedigree’s global legacy includes campaigns like "Dogs on Zoom" and "Child Replacement Program," but the Caramello insight provided a uniquely powerful way in for Brazil.
• Omni-channel Approach:
  • Launched “Caramello Kennel Club,” first-ever DNA testing for Caramellos, a dog show, and put Caramellos on packaging.
  • “We created the largest ever DNA test done in dogs. Created a Caramello dog show and put Caramellos on our packs.” (Natalia, [02:54]–[05:01])

3. Campaign Becomes a Movement

• Cultural Impact:
  • Within months:
    • 200%+ lift in Caramello adoption.
    • 65% jump in likelihood to adopt Caramellos in future.
    • Other brands (Chevrolet, Honda, Whirlpool) began featuring Caramellos in their marketing.
    • Even national dog show federations changed policy to accept mixed breeds after just two weeks.
  • “The movement became so big... the federation that controls the dog shows called us and said, we now want to accept mixed breed dogs.” (Natalia, [05:23])

4. From Local to Global

• Fostering Creative Excellence:
  • Campaign idea originated at ALMAP BBDO, with Natalia’s team fostering a "creative council" for rapid, bold piloting.
  • “I am a strong believer in creative excellence as a driver for growth... we could fund the better ideas in this creative council.” (Natalia, [07:35])
• Business Impact:
  • Immediate business boost: 15%+ growth in the first months, sustained double-digit volume and value growth for the year.
  • “The campaign… turned around the Pedigree brand and delivered results, not only on the cause, but also on the business.” (Natalia, [07:35])
• Global Expansion:
  • Caramello insight resonates globally—e.g., “Quiltro” dogs in Chile, similar cases in the Philippines.
  • Pedigree plans localization for other markets.

5. Purpose-Driven Marketing: Lessons Learned

• Authenticity is Key:
  • Purpose campaigns work when “aligned truly and authentically to the reason for the brand to exist.”
    • “When you really make this part of your core DNA and it’s authentically linked to the brand, that’s when it really works.” (Natalia, [14:04])
• Creative and Effective:
  • The campaign won Cannes’s Rainbow, Silver, Gold, and Titanium Lions, as well as Grand Effies, proving creativity and efficacy can go hand in hand.
    • “It was transformational... creative and effective in driving the business.” (Natalia, [15:13])

6. Tactics: From Social Viral to Omnichannel

• How the Spark Spread:
  • Partnered with influencer Tata Wernick, who publicly challenged a dog show’s rejection of her Caramello, going viral and prompting swift brand intervention.
    • “We were planning that this was going to take a couple days, but… had to act after only 10 hours because this became so big so quickly.” (Natalia, [09:42])
  • Used connected TV, prime streaming, offline activations (dog shows, adoption drives), and extensive media coverage.

7. Ongoing Evolution and Challenges

• Long-Term Commitment:
  • Campaign continues with new DNA research releases, adoption drives, and considering expansion to all mixed breeds.
    • “99% positive sentiment. The only 1% negative was—what about the other mixed breeds? They also deserve to be adopted. That’s where we’re taking it next.” (Natalia, [16:36])
• Marketing in the Age of AI:
  • Natalia is obsessed with “agentic commerce and agentic search”—ensuring Pedigree stays visible as machines and AI agents make purchasing decisions.
    • “We need to crack how to market to agents, how to market to a machine…” (Natalia, [19:35]–[20:05])

8. Notable Creative Decisions

• Breaking Brand Rules:
  • For the first time, Pedigree packs featured a Caramello instead of a golden retriever—a radical shift to align with campaign authenticity.
    • “It would be hypocritical of us to feature a breed dog while we were championing a mixed breed… we featured a Caramello, and this made the news again.” (Natalia, [23:52])

9. Pets in Advertising

• Are Dogs Better Than Cats for Brand Lift?
  • Both are powerful, say studies. Cats dominate meme culture, dogs rule social media.
    • “Cats are more powerful in meme culture… dogs are some of the biggest stars in social media.” (Natalia, [24:36])
• Fun Fact:
  • Natalia’s dog is named Bella.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is the most popular dog in Brazil, but the most overlooked.”
  — Natalia ([00:57])

• “If Caramellos were considered non-breeding, Pedigree was going to give them a breed. And who better to give them a breed than Pedigree, right?”
  — Natalia ([01:52])

• “The movement became so big… after only two weeks… the federation that controls the dog shows called us and said, we now want to accept mixed breed dogs.”
  — Natalia ([05:23])

• “When you really make [purpose] part of your core DNA and it’s authentically linked to the brand, that’s when it really works.”
  — Natalia ([14:04])

• “For the first time ever in history, we changed our pack and we featured a Caramello, and this made the news again.”
  — Natalia ([23:52])

• “You can do good in the world. You can drive the business and you can be creative.”
  — Natalia's closing thought ([25:54])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Introduction and background on the Caramello campaign | 00:18–01:41 | | Exploring the "Caramello" insight and campaign development | 01:52–05:01 | | Recognizing the campaign’s cultural vs. marketing impact | 05:23–07:18 | | Going from local insight to global potential | 07:18–09:11 | | Campaign’s viral launch and media amplification | 09:42–12:01 | | Proof of purpose and creativity in marketing | 13:36–15:13 | | Awards and business/service impact | 15:13–16:17 | | Sustaining and scaling the campaign, feedback, future directions | 16:36–17:44 | | Marketing to AI, preparing for agentic commerce/search | 18:59–21:13 | | Capability-building and culture of curiosity | 21:13–22:22 | | Connected commerce and pet parent journey | 22:22–23:46 | | Breaking brand rules: changing the packaging dog | 23:52–24:29 | | Cats vs. Dogs in advertising | 24:36–25:45 |

Episode Takeaways

• Purpose-driven marketing must be intimately tied to brand purpose to yield both cultural and business results.
• Bold authenticity—such as changing historic brand visuals—can supercharge campaign impact and credibility.
• Movements often begin with a deeply local insight, but universal themes (like inclusion) have global legs.
• Rapid response and omnichannel strategy are critical in harnessing viral moments.
• As technology changes, the next frontier for marketers is visibility in AI-led decisions (agentic commerce/search).

Additional Highlights

• 200%+ increase in Caramello adoption in Brazil.
• Campaign triggered rule changes in national dog shows.
• Inspired cross-industry marketing featuring Caramellos.
• Titanium Lion at Cannes: first ever for Mars Inc.
• Pedigree's next step: extend focus to all mixed-breed dogs, localize learnings globally.

Listen for inspiring, actionable insights on how creativity, purpose, agility, and authenticity can turn a campaign into a movement and a movement into measurable impact—both for people and business.