Animates NZ Holdings won three awards for The Pawprint Petition.
| Winner | Animates NZ Holdings |
| Marketing initiative | The Pawprint Petition |
| Marketing partners | Insiders, Hearts & Science, PixelWorld |
| Finalists | DB Breweries, Kiwibank, NZSki, Pak’nSave, Sharesies, Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa, The NZ Herpes Foundation (2 x category wins), Tourism NZ |
| Judges’ comments | “The judges found this a bold, purpose-led campaign that successfully united brand values with business results. A great example of how best-in-class marketing drives emotional engagement, customer action and measurable success. A stand-out entry that delivered on all core elements of a winning marketing campaign from customer category insight through to clever creative, executed with excellence. The campaign was creative, integrated and brave – proving that doing what’s right for customers (and their pets) can also deliver outstanding commercial outcomes. A truly deserving winner.” |
Best Retail & e-Commerce Marketing Campaign
| Finalists | Goodman Fielder, Gull, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken NZ, Restaurant Brands – KFC New Zealand, The Warehouse Group – Noel Leeming |
| Judges’ comments | “Strategically grounded + creatively executed + commercially impactful. A brave/smart approach, tied to the heart of the brand, and investing in a platform that taps into the emotional needs of the audience. It doesn’t stop at ‘feel good’, but turns it into tangible behaviour, which makes it the winner in this category.” |
Excellence in Social Purpose-Driven marketing strategy
| Finalists | ASB Bank, Engineering New Zealand, SBS Bank, SCG www.scg.net.nz, The NZ Herpes Foundation |
| Judges’ comments | “This entry, like a dog with a bone, demonstrated a very powerful link between CSR and commercial outcomes; where both can win. It showed a deep understanding of what motivates their customers – two and four-legged. The results were impressive, both at a business and society level. We are looking forward to seeing what they do next; and how they can build on this momentum.” |
Fireworks petition is a banger
Needing to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, Animates adopted a cause dear to the hearts of many Kiwi pet owners: banning the public sale of fireworks.
Animates has plenty of rivals nipping at its heels in the pet retail space. They come from across the spectrum, from pet specialty competitors and supermarkets to retail giants including Bunnings, Mitre 10 and The Warehouse.
Facing the prospect of a price race to the bottom, Animates needed a shared, emotional moment. It chose fireworks, which each year cause trauma, injuries and even death to pets.
Previous public petitions to ban retail firework sales had failed, so Animates decided to launch a movement that gave pets a say in the debate.
Give pets a voice
At the heart of The Pawprint Petition was a world-first digital platform where pet parents and their fur babies could sign, to call for a ban on public firework sales. The mobile-first, AI-powered experience gave pets a voice in the debate, quite literally.
Using creative tech, storytelling and a bit of AI magic, Animates built a seamless system to turn paw photos into personalised digital signatures.
After the user snapped or uploaded a real-time paw pic, AI transformed it into a one-of-a-kind, unique black-and-white image – a pet thumbprint that was used to sign the petition.
Despite the contentious subject, Animates still managed to have fun with the campaign and kept its animated characters front and centre. Its key image had a dog standing next to a lit firework, lifting its leg to ‘extinguish’ it.
Who won, who they were up against and what the judges had to say.
We bring you all the details for every category in the YouTube NZ Marketing Awards 2025.
A call to action
Stakeholder engagement was a critical part of the mix, as this wasn’t just another marketing campaign, this was a call to change a law – and therefore it required significant engagement through Animates’ business and beyond.
The Pawprint Petition received 173,152 total signatures (humans and pets), nearly 10 times the previous record (17,942) and more than three times its goal of 50,000.
The campaign blew up on social media and hit 8.07 million earned impressions, with coverage across TV, radio, print and online – including major features on TVNZ’s Breakfast, NZ Herald, Stuff NZ and NewstalkZB.
It contributed to an 8.1% year-on-year decline in fireworks sales and a 10% shift in public sentiment against fireworks, all while supporting sales for Animates in a competitive sector.
The Pawprint Petition delivered more than just happy pets. It delivered a happy business too.
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 84, Sept-Nov 2025. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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