Signs of abandonment | Arcaplanet
No pleading animals and no empty roads. A summer campaign that speaks to animal lovers and teaches them to read the signs before an abandonment.
How the idea started
As an animal lover this brief went straight to my heart, I admit it. I felt called on to make a difference.
Every year an estimated 100,000 to 130,000 pets are abandoned in Italy. Summer, and July to September in particular, is the most critical window: around 25 to 30 per cent of all yearly abandonments happen in those months.
So I asked myself: how do I really make a difference? Who can speak to someone considering abandoning an animal? Animal lovers. That inspiration led to the campaign Signs of abandonment, where Arcaplanet reframes the solution by speaking to the people who love animals.
Creative process
The brief
An outdoor awareness campaign against pet abandonment, to launch during the summer.
How to really make a difference
From the very first moment I ruled out the classic awareness campaign: no pleading animals, no sad faces, no empty roads. I wanted to send a concrete message.
Execution
Showing the signs of abandonment: those small signals that carry a large discomfort inside them, the discomfort of an owner who unconsciously no longer wants their animal around. A bowl left unwashed, a favourite toy gathering dust, walks getting shorter. All gestures an animal lover can see and recognise, and then help both the owner and the animal.
Does it stop at outdoor?
The campaign continues on social and in strategic locations.
On social: an informative campaign through the official Arcaplanet channels, with carousels and video collaborations showing the signs of abandonment in practice.
Abandonment signage: in the places most frequented by people with pets, signage describes the at risk behaviours, raising awareness among animal lovers and prompting self awareness in anyone showing the first signs of difficulty.
Project gallery
