Purina and U.S. Soccer have teamed up to launch a new campaign, kicking things off with a playful :50 second spot titled “Important News: Pets.” The ad, shared across social media, announces Purina as U.S. Soccer’s first-ever Official Pet Care Partner in a multiyear deal running through 2030.
Framed as a mock press conference, the spot treats the news with playful seriousness, spotlighting pets as the “important” headline. The creative taps into the joy and connection pets bring to fans’ lives, while teasing future content that will feature players alongside their furry companions. By leaning into humor and heart, the video sets the tone for a broader national campaign celebrating the bond between people, pets, and the game.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the spot.
The Details:
- Although branded primarily as a USA Soccer ad (indicated by the continuous corner logos), American viewers perceived the :50 “Important News: Pets” video to be a Purina ad, with 73% recalling Purina as the advertiser vs. just 9% recalling USA Soccer (unaided):
- Note that some viewers may have named more than one brand in the open-end response.
- When indexed to the average pet care ad over the past year, “Important News” was a top performer, ranking in the top decile in Likeability, Watchability, Information, Change, and Relevance:
- The Narrative (message) on the brand collaboration stood out as the Single Best Thing about the ad. The Heartfelt scenes of team member/animal interactions were very connective.
- Viewers across age/gender were fans of the :50 video, and 55% said the spot made them more likely to purchase/visit Purina, to outpace pet care norms by +9 pts.
- The Narrative (message) on the brand collaboration stood out as the Single Best Thing about the ad. The Heartfelt scenes of team member/animal interactions were very connective.
- Second-by-second trace shows stronger engagement among viewers over 35 with a steep drop-off during the final :10 of the video especially among younger viewers:
- This could suggest the longer length spot might be prone to ad skipping (pointing to non-skippable media) and/or opportunity for a shorter cut. The latter could also allow for wider reach within budget given the particularly positive reactions seen.
- Viewer comments on the :50 version reflect the appeal of the interaction between the dogs and the team members, as well as strong appreciation for the encouragement of pet adoption.
- Several would have preferred more narration and less text overlays, finding it hard to read it all and losing part of the message potentially as a result. However, the news of the partnership was well understood and many really enjoyed the heartwarming manner in which it was delivered.
- This could suggest the longer length spot might be prone to ad skipping (pointing to non-skippable media) and/or opportunity for a shorter cut. The latter could also allow for wider reach within budget given the particularly positive reactions seen.
Sample comments on the :50 “Important News: Pets”
“I liked this ad because I am a dog-lover. I don’t necessarily watch soccer, but after this, I would consider rooting for the team in the advertisement!”
Female 16-20
“I love the clips of the dogs with people and seeing the expressions on both the person and the dog. However, I didn’t expect the ad to be soccer related and thought the ad was for the humane society or some sort of adoption company. The text in the ad as well was hard to read. I’m not sure if that’s a me thing, but the white on the lighter blurred background made it hard to retain what it had said.”
Female 16-20
“Highlighting the people WITH animals is a good choice. Dogs are cute, but people with dogs smiling are cuter.”
Male 36-49
“It is an informative ad, and having cute dogs in an ad never hurts. I appreciate the promotion of adopting from a shelter.”
Male 36-49
“I am a huge dog lover. In fact, I dislike people very much. Most people anyways. I would have a herd of dogs if I could. I love that this message inspires people to adopt from shelters and not just about watching their sport and buying a product. It’s the PERFECT message to send to people around the world.”
Female 36-49
“Oh, I love puppies and kitties, so cute. They are great means of helping with PTSD and emotional support. Getting old dogs are great too. Give them a real life and love.”
Male 50+
“Who doesn’t love puppies?! This is a great collaboration between these two brands, highlighting the ‘niceness’ of USA Soccer with puppies and Purina casually being mentioned. Not overtly in your face selling the product at all, but puts it in a good light.”
Female 21-35
“It’s boring, honestly. I love dogs but it just bored me the entire way through, though I guess it’s not for entertainment.”
Male 16-20
“That made me smile. The hidden message was on par: Purina and the soccer league showing the reasons to adopt a pet.”
Male 50+
“Adopting pets is a very great thing. I love seeing the puppies. Purina gets a gold star here! Awesome teaming up with USA Soccer and pet adoption.”
Female 36-49
“Too many words to read to get the message.”
Male 50+
“I don’t know what the ad was about, all I saw were dogs and maybe a soccer team? There was too much reading for a commercial.”
Female 36-49
“It’s a good cause and I loved seeing all the dogs! So happy that they are encouraging rescue versus purebreds.”
Male 16-20
“I think it’s amazing what they are doing and hope they keep up the awesome work they are doing.”
Male 36-49
“It’s a very moving ad, especially for all of us pet parents at home, to see a company doing good for the animals in our world.”
Female 16-20
- The new :50 resonated very positively across fans of many pro and college sports beyond pro soccer, pointing to opportunity for more flexible media placements if desired:
- Given the strong response, the brands might also consider an increased budget for broader reach. Testing of shorter forms could also be employed to limit cost outlays.
- The ad also worked well when indexed to other professional sports league ads over the past year (great news for USA soccer), with “Important News” easily exceeding one-year norms in this category as well (95th percentile or higher) across all creative assessment metrics:
- However, despite the corner logos, the focus of most viewers was on the dogs, and as such, might have influenced their recall of the advertised brand. Audio narration might be layered in over the text visuals to better cement recall of the USA Soccer brand.
- The spot also compares favorably to the top-received pet care ads over the past 90 days (and Purina’s most recent), and sparked strong consideration, particularly given the lack of any single product focus:
With “Important News: Pets” :50, Purina and U.S. Soccer are kicking off more than just a sponsorship—they’re creating new ways for fans and their four-legged friends to engage with both brands. As the partnership grows through 2030, expect plenty of moments that bring pets, players, and supporters together on and off the field.
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