In January 1993 Jessica Hatfield, now chief executive of The Media
Vehicle, had just joined a below-the-line agency. Her first task was to
present to Hall Harrison & Cowley, the agency that handled the
above-the-line account for Pascoe’s Dog Food.
New ideas for dog campaigns are few and far between - even Julian Clary
would admit there are only so many ways to describe your meaty chunks.
But after some thought, Hatfield plumped for another doggy pastime - al
fresco urination.
Hence, when she presented to account director Phil Broek, she suggested
a free tree should be given away with proofs of purchase. The sapling
giveaway fitted the client’s target audience, given that people with big
dogs have big gardens. The sale was made and ads were plastered all over
the press with the strap: ’Everything your dog needs, including a free
tree.’
Not only did Broek and his wife become Hatfield’s friends, but the idea
also gave her career a leg-up.
