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Sock Dogma

Brandweek, June 5, 2000 by Adrienne Mand

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Me.

In February 2000, an original Pets.com Sock Puppet was auctioned on Amazon.com Auctions for $20,100. The proceeds went to Pets.commitment, Pets.com's Philanthropy program. Does it feel weird to know one of your siblings is out there, somewhere, perhaps without a microphone? And what's your favorite charitable activity?

Recent breakthroughs in cloning sock puppets made that possible, and as long as the charity helps make pets' lives better, I'm for it.

What's the one thing all people should know about their pets, other than their inability to drive?

When you're not home they call their friends on the phone.

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Your spots (um, the television ones) have been recognized by Adweek's IQ News as the best offline campaign for an online brand. How does that make you feel? What do you think was the winning ingredient?

Who is Adweek and what are they doing making fun of my I.Q.?

A Sock's Best Friend

John Hommeyer Knows it's the connection between people and their pets that's at the heart of Pets.com's success.

Oly the black lab is very well traveled for a retriever. She's lived in Cincinnati and Japan, but it's in San Francisco where she's final found home. Every day Oly goes to Pets.com's SoMa office with her owner, John Hommeyer, where she can frolic with at least a dozen other canines, plus an assortment of birds, fish and even a tarantula.

That connection between people and their pets, according to Hommeyer, is what he's been charged with conveying to consumers through the Pets.com advertising campaign.

Since joining the online pet-supply retailer a year ago as vice president of marketing, the 11-year Procter & Gamble veteran has taken his brand management skills to a new level with the creation of the Pets.com Sock Puppet. Pictured in ads by TBWA/Chiat/Day San Francisco, the brown-and-white dog, armed with a microphone and a Timex around his neck, has gone from zero to cultural icon in just nine months.

The company has thousands of inquiries about the Sock Puppet, including photos of people dressed like him for Halloween. Clearly, he's struck a chord with folks who know that pets are family.

Citing Tony the Tiger, the Marlboro man and the Pillsbury Doughboy as inspiration, Hommeyer says, "We believed we needed to develop an ongoing character, kind of an icon to put a face on the company."

Pets.com toyed with other ideas pitched by Chiat/Day, including a pet psychic and something to do with Dr. Doolittle. "As soon as they presented the Sock Puppet, we just knew," he says. "There was something magical about the idea."

The company also considered giving a first name to their spokespuppet, such as Fred or Buddy, but chose not to because "this way people are always saying, 'Pets.com,'" Hommeyer says. He adds that there are many who have no idea who Spuds McKenzie represented (Budweiser), but everyone knows the Energizer Bunny.

Consumer research was conducted in homes and dog parks to find out what pet owners liked and disliked about caring for animals, as well as their shopping preferences. This was honed to one message: "Pets.com makes it easier for you to care for your pet, makes it easier for you to make your pet happy," Hommeyer says of the site, which offers more than 15,000 items.

Advertising Industry

Sock Dogma

Brandweek, June 5, 2000 by Adrienne Mand

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