"The level of relationship—true connection to the emotions pet parents of today have for their pets—hasn’t been fully unlocked in category marketing that’s historically relied on function. With Colle McVoy, we’re eager to speak to the mutual wellbeing between pets and their pet parents,” shares Wellness Pet Company CEO Reed Howlett regarding the appointment.

Wellness Pet is the largest independent natural pet food company in North America and is home to the following premium pet food and treat brands: Wellness^®, Wellness® WHIMZEES^®, Wellness® Old Mother Hubbard^®, Wellness^® Good Dog, Wellness® Good Kitty, Sojos^®, Holistic Select^® and Eagle Pack^®.

Howlett noted Colle McVoy’s size and position within the Stagwell network was advantageous.

“We were looking for a full-service agency right sized to operate with the speed to meet today’s needs that can also grow with us,” adds Howlett. “And, the quality of the people at Colle McVoy—the character, intellectual curiosity and style we saw across multiple disciplines—made us feel we were with people who got it, who got us. People we could work really well with for the long haul.”

Colle McVoy will pull from its deep bench of expertise in CPG, animal care and retail to cover creative, brand strategy and design duties for Wellness Pet that also have social and earned creative components as part of the remit.

“Wellness Pet has an appetite for disruptive creative. That was clear from the very first meeting,” says Colle McVoy CCO, Ciro Sarmiento, who noted the brand proactively shared examples of work they admire across various industries. “They are very aware of how cluttered the category is with sunny slow-motion scenes that don’t reflect the bond between pets and pet parents.”

Even with rising costs of living, pet owners aren’t slowing down on spending on their pets.

According to NielsenIQ data reported by the American Pet Products Association, the amount spent on pets in the U.S. increased by 16% from $260B to $303B between 2022 and 2023. In fact, 54% of respondents surveyed by Wakefield Research in 2022 admitted to spending more time shopping for their pets than they spend shopping for some family members.

“Pet parents just want to do what’s best for their pets amid so many choices. At the same time, people are having fewer kids of the human variety and are investing more in pets,” shares Colle McVoy President Jessica Henrichs. “When you combine a massive cultural shift like that with Wellness Pet’s ambition, it’s a playground of possibility for a creative agency.”

Colle McVoy was selected from a field of six agencies that emerged from a widely-cast RFI in November of 2023. The pitch process, including two meeting rounds and a final presentation, managed by independent consultant Barbara Reilly, concluded in mid-February of 2024.

The first campaign under the new partnership is expected to launch later this year.