Putting on a Puppet Show. Seriously.

Who better to explain the need for a canine flu vaccine than an actual dog? Well, a puppet dog. Named Mutt Damon. And performed by Peter Linz—the same puppeteer who created Walter for The Muppets starring Jason Segal in 2o11. He's also the current performer for Ernie on Sesame Street.

This was one of the most fun projects ever. The client loved the idea as a way to creatively push pet owners (and their children) on the value of canine flu vaccination. We got to design the puppet ourselves and have it manufactured. The supporting cast was selected from existing puppets, as part of prop acquisition. Our artists illustrated each of the set backdrops for production. We scripted all the dialogue and worked with the puppeteer on set to make the actions as realistic as possible.

"One of those new friends must have been sick. I bet it was that Beagle who sneezed right at me. He didn't even cover his snout."

The video was not just delivered electronically on the brand site, we had actual DVDs for vets to distribute to customers to share with their kids. Not sure how many people actually did that, but I know the vets got a kick out of it. It was still being redistributed 5 years later on a vet's site after a flu outbreak in Chicago. I found it running on their Facebook page. Not many product videos have that kind of longevity.