In a departure from the typical joys of pet ownership common in pet food marketing, Hill’s Pet Nutrition has launched “To Be Human,” a campaign that acknowledges the sometimes complicated emotional reality of pet ownership.
Developed by creative agency VML, the campaign champions the idea that while humans continue to strive to love their pets as unconditionally as pets love them, they can rely on Hill’s Pet Nutrition to bridge the gaps and help every pet parent feel more confident in caring for their pets.
The multi-channel campaign is being broadcast through strategic placements across television, streaming platforms, and during major sporting events like NCAA March Madness.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the :30 spot.
The Details:
- Within the full gen pop American audience, the new :30 “To Be Human” was a complete winner with viewers of every age/gender, with the Heartfelt message highlighted as the single creative element making the strongest impression (and at a rate above the average pet care ad over the past year):
- About eight in ten recalled Hill’s Science Diet on an unaided basis after a single view, with one in two reporting being positively persuaded (+5 pts over the category average).
- Although message-centric, the Healthy aspects of the product were reflected in viewer comments.
- While outpacing pet care norms across every creative performance metric, this new :30 ranked in the very top percentile on relatability/Relevance – clearly hitting a nerve.
- About eight in ten recalled Hill’s Science Diet on an unaided basis after a single view, with one in two reporting being positively persuaded (+5 pts over the category average).
Among all viewers:
- The ad resonated well across all manner of pet owners (and even non-owners), and was particularly successful among dog and cat owners:
Among dog and cat owners:
- Within the core target of dog and cat owners, “To Be Human” was even more exceptional in its ability to connect, placing in the category’s 95th or higher percentile on all but Information (and still ranking in the top percentile on Relevance):
- This audience professed positive intent at a rate +10 pts ahead of the average pet care ad (Top 2 Box 64%).
- Comments from dog/cat owners on the Hill’s spot confirm that not only was the company’s research spot on, but the creative very effectively built relatable trust very quickly. Pet owners easily identified with the sentiment in the ad, and expressed strong desire to give their pets the best possible care.
- This audience professed positive intent at a rate +10 pts ahead of the average pet care ad (Top 2 Box 64%).
Sample comments from dog/cat owners on “To Be Human” :30
“I feel like it was very relatable as a pet parent and provided a sense of how we all feel about our furry friends when they have to go to the vet or take a bath. Also, it conveyed how true pet parents feel when they want the very best for their kitties or pups.”
Female 36-49
“Pets are people too! Hill’s is a great brand for cats and dogs, and I wish owners would treat them like their kids.”
Male 36-49
“As someone who feeds their pet Hill’s Science Diet, the commercial resonates with me. It helped improve my pet’s health.”
Female 21-35
“I love that this is a company solely intending to help pet parents and provide a solution for multiple questions that need to be answered.”
Male 21-35
“I think it makes pet owners think about the food they are giving their pets. I believe it would cause people to wonder if they should give it a try. At least that’s what I saw as a pet owner wanting to feed my pet the best food possible.”
Female 21-35
“I use Hill’s Science Diet currently and I think it is a great product. The ad points this out. My vet highly recommends this product for my dog’s diet and long-term health.”
Male 50+
“Everybody loves a good animal commercial. It seemed very heartfelt and convincing that the company wants to be part of helping you take care of your pet.”
Female 36-49“
Love pets and I could really relate to this ad. Makes me really want to take care of the pets myself.”
Male 21-35
- Second-by-second trace reflects quick engagement success among dog/cat owners which was maintained at a high level throughout the :30 (iSpot’s is a non-skippable testing environment):
- Still, the longer period of relatively flat engagement could signal an opportunity for shorter follow-on spots to optimize reach if budget is constrained, particularly given the level of success here.
- Compared to the best received pet care ads of the past year, “To Be Human” ranked first driven by its impressive relatability, and also sparked the highest intent among dog/cat owners:
- Based on these results, the brand could consider additional budget for the ad.
- iSpot media measurement reports negligible Impression SOV on streaming among Hill’s Science ads through 3/21/25 (admittedly two days since launch) and a 2.85% share of brand Impressions on linear.
- Based on these results, the brand could consider additional budget for the ad.
- Hill’s campaign is indeed standing out as something new in the category, with it being the only ad among the top five for the dog/cat owner audience that was most impressionable for the message:
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Creative Agency: VML