Rover, the network for pet sitters and dog walkers, is all about finding the perfect match between humans and animals. A new ad campaign for the Seattle-based startup showcases that mission through the joy of people and pets of all sizes.
The campaign, called “Walk It Out,” features a 60-second video (above) set to the song of the same title by DJ Unk. Dog walkers — outfitted in stylish duds, including Rover fanny packs — strut down the street with dogs seemingly matched to their look.
The ad began airing earlier this month on television and on social channels. Backlit posters, billboards and turnstile placements have also been placed in New York City’s Columbus Circle subway station.
“Pet parents know walks are important to dogs’ health and happiness,” Halle Hutchison, VP of marketing at Rover, said in a news release. “In a recent survey we found that while the majority of owners see walks as a reflection of how much they love their dog, 57 percent skip walks each week. At Rover, we understand that life is busy and sometimes pet parents need a reliable dog walker to step in. Using Rover, the No. 1 pet sitting and dog walking app, pet parents can find the perfect match to take care of their dog.”
The campaign was created by the agency Pereira O’Dell, which began working with Rover a year ago. The company has run localized campaigns for dog walking in the past, but “Walk It Out” is its first national TV campaign specifically for the dog walking service, which has seen rapid growth of late.
According to Rover, in 2017, growth of the company’s dog walking business in most of the top 20 metropolitan areas noticeably outpaced the overall business, which itself more than doubled revenues from 2016. And there’s competition out there, as Wag, another on-demand walking and dog-care startup, raised $300 million earlier this year.
Founded in 2011, Rover runs the largest pet services marketplace, helping to match more than 200,000 vetted sitters and more than 130,000 dog walkers in thousands of cities across the country. The company raised $65 million, its largest investment round ever, last summer.
