Purina challenged McCann Paris to increase awareness for its Pro Plan Veterinary Diets in France. With over a million dogs skipping annual check-ups, the brand needed to reach urban pet owners who neglected preventative care. The goal was to demonstrate Purina's health expertise and drive vet visits by making pet health monitoring more accessible during daily routines.
Creative Idea
Turned street poles into automated medical labs that analyzed dog urine for health issues.
Purina transformed ordinary street poles into digital diagnostic labs that analyzed dog urine in real-time. By turning a daily walk into a health check, the brand provided immediate medical utility that bridged the gap between pet owners and professional care.
The Billboard That Doubled As A Laboratory
Two Years Of Engineering For Thirty Seconds Of Science
While the concept seems simple, the execution required a two year research and development phase to shrink a medical lab into a street fixture. McCann Paris collaborated with the Yncrea Engineering School and the VetParis7 clinic to ensure the diagnostic results were medically sound. The final unit utilized pheromones to naturally attract dogs to a specific pole, where a sample was collected into a sterile internal chamber. To maintain medical integrity, the system executed an automated cleaning cycle between every test, using chemical reagents to screen for glucose, protein, nitrites, and ketones.
Detecting Disease On The Daily Walk
The campaign addressed a critical health gap in France, where over one million dogs miss their annual veterinary check - ups. The "Street - Vet" billboards successfully performed 2,500 health checks during the initial test phase, detecting potential medical issues in 41% of the dogs tested. This immediate utility drove a massive 83% increase in purchase intent for Purina Pro Plan products and convinced 74% of dog owners to visit their veterinarian more regularly.
From Street Stunt To Service Design
The project is now cited as a landmark in Service Design, moving beyond traditional messaging to provide a tangible public health utility. Beyond the 50 million global impressions, the campaign's success was rooted in its ability to provide instant feedback. If an abnormality was detected, the digital screen provided a QR code containing the results, allowing owners to take the data directly to a professional. As Véronique Herman of Nestlé Purina noted, the goal was to offer a solution that fit seamlessly into the daily routine of a walk in the park.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets offered specialized nutritional expertise and a commitment to proactive pet health management.
Category
Pet food brands typically focus on taste or ingredients through traditional advertising and emotional storytelling.
Customer
Dog owners often neglect annual vet check-ups due to busy schedules or lack of perceived urgency.
Culture
The rise of service design where consumers expect brands to provide functional value within their existing daily routines.
Company
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets offered specialized nutritional expertise and a commitment to proactive pet health management.
Category
Pet food brands typically focus on taste or ingredients through traditional advertising and emotional storytelling.
Strategy:
Embed diagnostic health services into existing daily routines to lower the barrier for professional medical intervention.
Customer
Dog owners often neglect annual vet check-ups due to busy schedules or lack of perceived urgency.
Culture
The rise of service design where consumers expect brands to provide functional value within their existing daily routines.
Strategy:
Embed diagnostic health services into existing daily routines to lower the barrier for professional medical intervention.
Results
The campaign achieved over 50 million global impressions and performed 2,500 health checks during its initial test phase. The diagnostic billboards detected potential health issues in 41% of the dogs tested. The initiative drove a significant 83% increase in purchase intent for Purina Pro Plan products and convinced 74% of dog owners to visit their veterinarian more regularly. Brand sentiment saw a positive increase of 11%. The campaign was highly awarded, winning a Gold Lion in Health & Wellness (Animal Health), two Silver Lions, and a Bronze Lion at Cannes 2019, alongside a Gold Epica Award and multiple Eurobest honors.
83%
Increase in purchase intent
41%
Dogs detected with health issues
50M+
Global impressions
Strategy Technique
Build an Utility, Not an Ad
Instead of telling owners to visit the vet, Purina created a functional diagnostic tool. This shifted the brand from a food provider to a proactive health partner by solving a friction point in pet care.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Unexpected Utility
The campaign turns a mundane urban object - a street pole - into a sophisticated medical tool. It provides a tangible, functional service that solves a real problem rather than just broadcasting a marketing message.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
Street-Vet represents a masterclass in 'Service Design,' where two years of engineering transformed a traditional OOH billboard into a functional, sterile medical laboratory.
The integration of pheromone attraction, sterile sample collection, and chemical reagent analysis within a street fixture is a feat of high-level engineering.
The campaign transcends advertising by providing a tangible medical utility that fits seamlessly into the consumer's existing daily routine.
Real-time data processing delivered diagnostic results to a digital screen in under 30 seconds, including QR code generation for vet visits.
Strategic placement in high-traffic, dog-friendly urban areas turned standard street furniture into a critical health touchpoint.
The magic lies in the intersection of medical science and outdoor media, turning a passive advertising space into an active diagnostic tool.
