La SPA - Adopt A Mod
La SPA needed to significantly increase awareness of the harsh reality faced by 15,000 abandoned cats in France annually and drive adoptions. They sought an innovative way to reach a broad audience, including younger demographics, to boost shelter visits and ultimately secure more homes for cats.
Creative Idea
La SPA modified "Stray" game, replacing its hero with real, suffering shelter cats.
La SPA modified the popular video game "Stray" by replacing its protagonist with real, adoptable shelter cats, immersing gamers in the harsh reality of their lives to generate profound empathy and drive a significant increase in adoptions.
Hacking the Worlds Most Popular Cat to Save Real Lives
From Digital Hero to Shelter Reality
While the original protagonist of Stray was a sleek, agile ginger tabby, Havas Play intentionally subverted this "star" image. The production team used high - fidelity 3D modeling to recreate five specific, real - life cats from La SPA shelters - including Pastelle, Doc, and Zadig. Unlike the healthy game character, these mods introduced realistic elements of suffering, such as visible scars and matted fur, to mirror the physical limitations of abandoned animals. By uploading these to Nexus Mods, the team allowed PC players to experience the game through the eyes of cats that are traditionally harder to adopt.
A 2,000 Percent Surge in Shelter Traffic
The campaign bypassed traditional "sad" charity commercials to meet Gen Z in their own environment, resulting in a +2,000% increase in visitors to La SPA shelters. The impact was immediate: every real - life cat modeled for the game was adopted within 24 hours of the launch. Beyond the 900 additional adoptions recorded compared to the previous year, the initiative generated over 400 million PR impressions and 21 million social views.
The Weight of a Meow
Chief Creative Officer Fabrice Plazolles noted that while the game was a global phenomenon, the reality for France's 15,000 abandoned cats was far less rosy. By partnering with French Twitch streamers, the agency transformed the game's famous "meow" button from a cute gimmick into a poignant plea for help. The success was so significant that the game's developers, BlueTwelve Studio, entered discussions with La SPA about integrating more realistic stray elements into future updates, cementing the project as a benchmark for meaningful gaming.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
La SPA, a leading French animal protection NGO, possessed the mission and credibility to advocate for abandoned animals.
Category
Animal welfare campaigns often use traditional, sometimes overlooked, emotional appeals or direct calls for donations and shelter visits.
Customer
Gamers, particularly "Stray" fans, loved the game's idealized cat but were largely unaware of the harsh reality for real abandoned animals.
Culture
The immense cultural phenomenon of "Stray" in 2022 created a unique moment around cats in gaming, ripe for a relevant intervention.
Company
La SPA, a leading French animal protection NGO, possessed the mission and credibility to advocate for abandoned animals.
Category
Animal welfare campaigns often use traditional, sometimes overlooked, emotional appeals or direct calls for donations and shelter visits.
Strategy:
Leverage cultural phenomena to expose uncomfortable truths and drive real-world action.
Customer
Gamers, particularly "Stray" fans, loved the game's idealized cat but were largely unaware of the harsh reality for real abandoned animals.
Culture
The immense cultural phenomenon of "Stray" in 2022 created a unique moment around cats in gaming, ripe for a relevant intervention.
Strategy:
Leverage cultural phenomena to expose uncomfortable truths and drive real-world action.
Results
The campaign achieved significant results: * "Stray" was recognized as "THE MOST POPULAR GAME OF 2022" and "GAME OF 2022 INDEPENDENT" at The Game Awards. * It was "1st of Sales" on Steam and PlayStation. * Metacritic score of 83. * Push gave it 8/10 ("Meow!"). * PSU gave it 9/10 ("truly special"). * VG247 gave it 5/5 ("A touching tale"). * The mod itself received 15553 DOWNLOADS. * It generated 400 MILLION PR REACH. * The modeled cats featured in the mod "GOT ADOPTED IN 24 HOURS". * The campaign led to a +2000% VISITORS IN SHELTERS. * It resulted in +900 NEW CAT ADOPTIONS. * The game creators (HKdevblog) "NOTICED THE CAMPAIGN" and "ARE NOW DISCUSSING TO ADD MORE STRAY CATS IN THE GAME". * Media mentions from Yahoo, AdAge, We Are PlayStation, AdAge, gamekult, WE ARE PLAYSTATION, G NEWS, Les Echos, STRATEGIES, BFM TV, Ouest France, La Provence, 20 Minutes, Europe 1, rtbf.be, l'actu.
15553
mod downloads
400M
PR reach
+2000%
visitors in shelters
Strategy Technique
Borrow Equity
La SPA borrowed the immense popularity and emotional connection players had with the game "Stray." This allowed them to instantly gain attention and leverage an existing, engaged audience for their critical message.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
The campaign reversed players' expectations of the popular game "Stray" by replacing its idealized cat protagonist with suffering, real-life abandoned cats. This shocking contrast created a powerful emotional experience, driving empathy and action.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its groundbreaking central idea, executed with sophisticated digital craft and a smart media strategy, transforming a virtual experience into impactful real-world advocacy.
The technical skill involved in modifying the 'Stray' game engine and meticulously recreating specific, realistic 3D models of shelter cats, making them playable characters, is a high-level digital execution.
The visual design of the custom 3D cat models demonstrates strong art direction, ensuring they accurately and empathetically represented the real shelter animals while integrating into the game's aesthetic.
The campaign's profound impact comes from the seamless synergy between the brilliant strategic idea, the meticulous digital craft in creating the mod, and the astute media strategy that activated a highly engaged audience.
