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# Buried Travel Ads
GNV's Cruise Marketing Stunt Has Dogs Discover Toys with Ads on Them

By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2016-05-10 | Lifestyle
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cruise-marketing
References: [creativeguerrillamarketing](http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/gnv-turns-iconic-summer-toys-advertisements-dogs-discover/) & [gnv.it](http://www.gnv.it/en)

Some companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for prime advertisement placement—but GNV's cruise marketing stunt 'Buried Ads' diverges from the norm.

It's reported that one in three Italians won't go on holidays without their pets, so GNV overhauled the design of its ferry cabins to be friendly to both people and pets. In order to get the word out about its 4-Legged Friends cabins, GNV buried toys in Italy's largest parks for dogs to find. Once these items were retrieved by dogs, pet owners were able to read a message about the new offering from the leading Italian company.

The friendly, approachable nature of most dog breeds makes them popular messengers for advertising a brand's products or services. Examples of this include pubs with dog bartenders and canines that serve as roving Wi-Fi providers at festivals.

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 1.4/10
- Popularity: 4% | Activity: 29% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: North America, Europe

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Pets](https://www.trendhunter.com/pets)

## Key Themes

### What's Driving This Trend

- **Pet-friendly Marketing:** The use of pets as messengers for advertising brands' products or services presents a disruptive innovation opportunity.
- **Experiential Advertising:** Creating interactive experiences, like burying toys for dogs to find, can attract attention and engage consumers in a unique way.
- **Brand Ambassadors:** Using dogs as brand ambassadors can create a friendly and approachable image for companies, leading to increased brand awareness.

### Who This Affects Most

- **Pet Services:** The pet services industry can capitalize on the trend of pet-friendly marketing by offering specialized services and products for pet owners.
- **Advertising & Marketing:** The advertising and marketing industry can explore experiential advertising techniques to create memorable and engaging campaigns for brands.
- **Hospitality & Travel:** The hospitality and travel industry can incorporate pet-friendly amenities and promotions to attract pet owners as a target market.

## Related on Trend Hunter

- [Dog-Friendly Food Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/natural-balance-pet-food.md)
- [High-Frequency Radio Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/morrisons-ad.md)
- [Functionally Focused Dog Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inflatable-dogs.md)
- [Carrier Pigeon Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/project-pigeon.md)
- [Playful Pet Accident Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dont-worry-you-can-afford-it.md)
- [Heart-Warming Pet Owner Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cesar-love-like-crazy.md)
- [Puppy Dating App Giveaways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/puppy-dating-app-giveaways.md)
- [Humorous Pet Furniture Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/utsdd.md)
- [Playful Billboard Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dreamies-treats.md)
