By Patrice Pandeleos, Managing Director of Seven Communications
This International Dog Day, brands should be asking: Are we barking up the wrong tree with celebrity endorsements?
In public relations, the currency we trade in is trust. For decades, celebrity partnerships have been a go-to tool for building awareness, yet their ability to generate genuine trust has been quietly eroding. Consumers are no longer dazzled by fame alone. They have learned to read between the lines of campaigns and can quickly detect when a message feels manufactured or transactional. This has profound implications for brand storytelling, where the messenger can make or break the message.
Enter the dog. Relatable without trying, charismatic without effort, and trusted without uttering a word, dogs carry none of the baggage that can sometimes make human ambassadors risky. Two-thirds of Australian households own a pet and more than half of them are dogs, meaning the emotional connection is already in place before the campaign even begins. That does not mean brands should abandon celebrities altogether, it means PR professionals and marketers need to be far more strategic about matching the right messenger with the right message.
Left: Pandeleos with her dog Buddy on Seven’s The Morning Show
Authenticity on Four Legs: Why Pets Win Hearts Where Celebrities Can’t
Authenticity is not just a buzzword in our industry. It is the single most important factor in whether a campaign resonates or disappears into the noise. Celebrities can still be powerful in spaces where aspiration drives behaviour, such as luxury goods, beauty or sport. In categories built on everyday trust, joy and relatability, dogs offer an unmatched advantage. They are immune to self-consciousness, their affection is unfiltered, and their appeal crosses every demographic. That is a universal currency no publicist can manufacture.
Some brands are already leaning into this shift. Pet Circle’s Superman-themed campaign put dogs in the hero role, telling a story of canine courage that promotes pet wellbeing while feeling alive, playful and entirely authentic. This is the kind of work that earns attention organically, builds emotional connection, and generates coverage without relying on over-engineered talking points.
How Dogs Deliver Big ROI Without the Hollywood Price Tag
From a PR perspective, the return on investment is hard to ignore. Marketing budgets are under more scrutiny than ever, with every dollar expected to deliver measurable impact. Celebrity-led campaigns often require hefty appearance fees, travel costs, image rights, stylists, and an entourage of handlers – and can still fall flat if the audience senses inauthenticity.
Dogs, on the other hand, come without those overheads and can appear across multiple campaigns without risking overexposure. The key is ensuring they align with the brand narrative; dropping in a dog for novelty alone will flop just as badly as a poorly matched celebrity. And when celebrity endorsements go wrong, the fallout can be costly – both financially and reputationally. Kendall Jenner’s infamous Pepsi ad remains the cautionary tale of what happens when a brand tries too hard to manufacture a “moment.”
Smiles, Shares, and Science: The Stats Behind Pet-Powered Influence
It’s not just fluff – the science supports what PR teams see anecdotally. Even brief eye contact with a dog can trigger an oxytocin release, creating a sense of trust and emotional connection that primes people to engage more openly with a message. Given that almost 70 percent of Australian households live with a pet, the familiarity and comfort they bring to a campaign makes it feel like an everyday moment rather than a sales pitch.
The decision between a pup and a public figure should always start with three questions. Does this campaign require relatability or aspiration? Can we keep the narrative authentic? How will we measure its impact beyond likes and shares? The answers should guide the choice of messenger, not habit or budget alone.
PR professionals are in the business of shaping perception, and International Dog Day is a timely reminder that the most effective brand representatives are the ones who can earn trust quickly and hold it long after the campaign ends. Sometimes that is a Hollywood star. Increasingly, it might just be the dog next door.
Top image: Pandeleos’ dog Buddy