Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co.

Services

  • Branding
  • Copywriting & Messaging
  • Naming
  • Packaging
  • Photography
  • Video Production

The Problem

A great product idea needed a great brand and packaging to pique the interest of its target audience and introduce a totally new cat-feeding methodology to homes across the country. In this instance, that great idea was the No-Bowl Cat feeding system. It works like this: rather than feed your pet cat via traditional bowl, this feeding system uses decoy mice that a cat owner fills with dry kibble, then hides around the house. The cat then hunts for its food throughout the day - satisfying its natural urge to hunt and leading to a happier, healthier life.

Our Approach

No-Bowl, the name, had to go. It sounded too clinical and utilitarian. So we turned to the target audience - cat owners. This particular swath of consumers considers itself sophisticated and a staunch advocate of cats. The new brand would need to introduce this product in a smart and curious way. We needed to elevate the benefits of the feeding system and break the bowl paradigm. Also, because feeding with a bowl is the near unanimously accepted norm for cat owners, it was imperative that we positioned the product to be fun, easy, clean and worthwhile.

The Results

From the sterile brand name of No-Bowl Feeding System, we injected a dose of authentic personality and renamed the company Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. The logo design features illustrations of the actual Doc & Phoebe cat characters. And overall, the new brand buzzes with artistry and energy - giving cat owners belief and reason to be excited about the product. Additionally, Doc & Phoebe’s was recently awarded with the 2017 International Cat Care Cat Friendly Award. And our new logo design earned honors by winning a 2017 American Advertising Federation ADDY Award in Orlando.

The True Tail of Doc & Phoebe

The switch from No-Bowl Feeding System to Doc & Phoebe’s Cat Co. was a fundamental shift in personality for the product and brand. Fearing that pet owners would view change in their routines as meddlesome work, we focused on the cats - illustrating two of their faces as the centerpiece of the logo. The scientific cat wearing a stethoscope is modeled as a cat doctor, to represent company founder and cat-specialist veterinarian, Dr. Liz Bales. The other more playful cat represents the tenacity and energy of her business partner, Phoebe. One Doc. One Phoebe. Hence Doc & Phoebe - a lovable brand identity with a unique name and a true story to back it all up.

Packaged For Success

Retail shelves are crowded places. Products crammed together, fighting for attention. In this environment it literally pays to understand your audience and craft a package with a strategically informed creative direction. For Doc & Phoebe’s, we honed in on the sophisticated cat owner who would be willing to spend money on an innovative product to better their cat’s life - and in return, better their life as a cat owner. Following in the footsteps of companies like Apple and Beats, we crafted an upscale, elegant package experience that focused on simplicity of design and quality of material. Additionally, we created a funny yet empowering advertising campaign to support the retail efforts - centered around the headline, spoken first-person by a cat, “I am not a dog. Don’t feed me like one.”

Lights, Camera, Meow.

The Doc & Phoebe product presents a totally new methodology for pet owners to embrace as a means of feeding their cats. So video was the natural solution to introduce this to a large online market and for quick and easy-to-understand instruction. With a cast of actors, trained felines and our client as talent, we created three :30 online videos - highlighting the use of the product and its benefits. We also created six :10 branded humorous video shorts around the “I am not a dog” creative theme. The music and voice-over artist both projected audio that fit within the world of our fun-loving, energetic brand. And the experience of working with trained cats on a film set is one we’ll never forget as it presented unique - but cute - new challenges and a shoot dynamic requiring us to be flexible and focused throughout.