{"id":33249,"date":"2025-10-01T13:41:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/?p=33249"},"modified":"2025-10-01T13:41:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:41:21","slug":"paws-play-and-passion-purina-becomes-u-s-soccers-official-pet-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/paws-play-and-passion-purina-becomes-u-s-soccers-official-pet-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"Paws, Play, and Passion: Purina Becomes U.S. Soccer\u2019s Official Pet Partner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Purina and U.S. Soccer have teamed up to launch a new campaign, kicking things off with a playful :50 second spot titled \u201cImportant News: Pets.\u201d The ad, shared across social media, announces Purina as U.S. Soccer\u2019s first-ever Official Pet Care Partner in a multiyear deal running through 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Framed as a mock press conference, the spot treats the news with playful seriousness, spotlighting pets as the \u201cimportant\u201d headline. The creative taps into the joy and connection pets bring to fans\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"color:#4ac500;font-size: 24px;\"><strong>Here\u2019s what iSpot\u2019s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the spot.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-569x320.png 569w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123249\/image1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"color:#4ac500;font-size: 24px;\"><strong>The Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Although branded primarily as a USA Soccer ad (indicated by the continuous corner logos), American viewers perceived the :50 &#8220;Important News: Pets&#8221; video to be a Purina ad, with 73% recalling Purina as the advertiser vs. just 9% recalling USA Soccer (unaided):<br \/><br \/>\n<ul>\n<li>Note that some viewers may have named more than one brand in the open-end response.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"424\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-1024x424.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-1024x424.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-300x124.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-640x265.png 640w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-768x318.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5-1536x636.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123347\/image5.png 1656w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When indexed to the average pet care ad over the past year, &#8220;Important News&#8221; was a top performer, ranking in the top decile in Likeability, Watchability, Information, Change, and Relevance:<br \/><br \/>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<br \/><br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"870\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-1024x870.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-1024x870.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-300x255.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-377x320.png 377w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-768x652.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b-1536x1305.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123349\/image6b.png 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>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:<br \/><br \/>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<br \/><br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>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.<br \/><br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-1024x450.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-1024x450.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-640x281.png 640w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-768x337.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b-1536x675.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123345\/image4b.png 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"color:#4ac500;font-size: 24px;\"><strong><i>Sample comments on the :50 &#8220;Important News: Pets&#8221;<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI liked this ad because I am a dog-lover. I don&#8217;t necessarily watch soccer, but after this, I would consider rooting for the team in the advertisement!\u201d<br \/><em>Female 16-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI love the clips of the dogs with people and seeing the expressions on both the person and the dog. However, I didn&#8217;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&#8217;m not sure if that&#8217;s a me thing, but the white on the lighter blurred background made it hard to retain what it had said.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 16-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHighlighting the people WITH animals is a good choice. Dogs are cute, but people with dogs smiling are cuter.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is an informative ad, and having cute dogs in an ad never hurts. I appreciate the promotion of adopting from a shelter.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI 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&#8217;s the PERFECT message to send to people around the world.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, 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.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 50+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho doesn&#8217;t love puppies?! This is a great collaboration between these two brands, highlighting the \u2018niceness\u2019 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.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 21-35<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s boring, honestly. I love dogs but it just bored me the entire way through, though I guess it&#8217;s not for entertainment.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 16-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat made me smile. The hidden message was on par: Purina and the soccer league showing the reasons to adopt a pet.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 50+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdopting 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.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToo many words to read to get the message.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 50+<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;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.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s a good cause and I loved seeing all the dogs! So happy that they are encouraging rescue versus purebreds.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 16-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think it&#8217;s amazing what they are doing and hope they keep up the awesome work they are doing.\u201d<br \/><em>Male 36-49<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;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.\u201d<br \/><em>Female 16-20<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>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:<br \/><br \/>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-1024x591.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-1024x591.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-555x320.png 555w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-768x443.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b-1536x886.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123355\/image8b.png 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The ad also worked well when indexed to other professional sports league ads over the past year (great news for USA soccer), with &#8220;Important News&#8221; easily exceeding one-year norms in this category as well (95th percentile or higher) across all creative assessment metrics:<br \/><br \/>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"870\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-1024x870.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-1024x870.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-300x255.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-377x320.png 377w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-768x652.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b-1536x1305.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123352\/image7b.png 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The spot also compares favorably to the top-received pet care ads over the past 90 days (and Purina\u2019s most recent), and sparked strong consideration, particularly given the lack of any single product focus:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-1024x575.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-1024x575.png 1024w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-570x320.png 570w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-768x431.png 768w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b-1536x862.png 1536w, https:\/\/hub-cdn.ispot.tv\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01123342\/image2b.png 1999w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With \u201cImportant News: Pets\u201d :50, Purina and U.S. Soccer are kicking off more than just a sponsorship\u2014they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Schedule a demo<\/a> to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve\u2014and outperform\u2014campaign objectives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Purina and U.S. Soccer have teamed up to launch a new campaign, kicking things off with a playful :50 second spot titled \u201cImportant News: Pets.\u201d The ad, shared across social media, announces Purina as U.S. Soccer\u2019s first-ever Official Pet Care Partner in a multiyear deal running through 2030. Framed as a mock press conference, the&#8230; Read More<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":33250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[497],"ispot_product_categories":[],"acf":{"expiration_date":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33249"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33249"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33280,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33249\/revisions\/33280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33249"},{"taxonomy":"ispot_product_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ispot.tv\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ispot_product_categories?post=33249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}