CLEMS SYDNEY LAUNCHES PEPSI MAX STRAYHOUND RACING

Clemenger BBDO Sydney creatives Gary Dawson and Paul Cottrell have completed a multi-media campaign to launch a new Pepsi Max promotion. The promotion gives punters the chance to win 5k everyday or choose to race a greyhound with up to $100,000 up for grabs in the Pepsi Max Cup, to be held at Wentworth Greyhound Stadium in October.
The campaign launched yesterday (August 21) with a two and a half minute film to be sent virally, a first for Pepsi Australia. The film introduces viewers to the world of Strayhound racing, the dark underworld of greyhound racing. A place where mongrels and street-dogs face off in a battle to catch a remote controlled cat stuffed with cash.
Set in a disused factory, each ‘Strayhound’ is brought on by a seedy crew of trainers and introduced to the crowds. It is then that a rag tag looking bunch of characters in specially created dog suits are revealed. We see the Stray Twins from the UK, El Nino the fiery midget from Colombia, Smack-the feisty poodle from Asia, Bullet- the laid back loafer from Australia and Normous, the lanky, long haired bruiser from eastern Europe.
As ‘Pussy 1’ has cash stuffed up its backside our dogs take their places and the race is on! Set to beautiful, rousing opera, what follows is absolute mayhem as the ‘Strayhounds’ play dirty to get their hands on the cash. As dog takes on dog a brawl ensues as they battle it out in a no rules race to catch pussy.
Finally we are left wandering which one grabs the cash and the suggestion that it’s still out there. Viewers are then directed to www.strayhounds.com.au where they uncover more about the world of ‘Strayhounds’. From here they can move up above ground and find out how they can race a real dog for up to $100,000 in the legal world of Greyhound racing.
A series of four TV commercials launches a week later, featuring one of the ‘Strayhounds’ at a Greyhound race. These commercials send viewers to ‘dollars or the dog.com.au’ where they can enter the competition as well as being able to go underground to the world of Strayhound Racing.
Art Director: Paul Cottrell
Copywriter: Gary Dawson
Director: Adam Stevens
Production Company: Robbers Dog
Producer: Mark Foster
Editor: Dan Lee (Karl Marx)
Agency Producers: Denise Mckeon, Wendy Gillies.