Insight
A law that does not punish anyone who’s capable of breaking a toucan’s beak, poisoning dogs, organising fights, or abusing animals in any way, is a law that’s only good for one thing…
To demonstrate how useless the current law is, Territorio de Zaguates printed it on thousands of pet "poop bags”. Each with this simple instruction: The current animal welfare law is only good for one thing. Pick up your pet waste. Take a picture or video. And share it on your social networks with the hashtag #LeyDeMierda (#ShitLaw).
Strategy
The bags were given away for free in veterinary clinics, parks, refuges, and the country’s largest pet shop chain. All spaces frequented by animal lovers, a target that would no doubt participate in the initiative, were listed on the campaign’s official site.
The bags were also sent to social media opinion leaders and public figures that OMD knew would gladly join the cause.
Additionally the buzz generated on social and media, led other commerce, universities and event organisers to contact Territorio de Zaguates and collaborate with the distribution of bags.
Execution
The bags were distributed between February and March 2016, the exact period where Congress discusses law projects viability.
The campaign became a viral success since day one: people, charities and celebrities - the bags were in the hands of all that demanded a proper law that would make animal cruelty punishable.
News and TV shows, blogs and radio stations turned the bags into the cause’s symbol. And animal cruelty into a national debate. At this point of the campaign, even politicians from different parties used the bags to generate pressure within Congress.
Results
All the pressure finally led to an historic consensus between the nine parties that form the Congress, allowing the text that reforms the law to be unanimously approved, and all who abuse animals in any way, to be punished by law.
The campaign led to more than 117,000 pieces of content generated using the hashtag with a PR value of more than $510,000.