FRANKLIN, Tenn., March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On International Women's Day, CESAR® Brand has launched "Woman's Best Friend Too," a program that highlights the special bond between women and their dogs, and turns the age-old saying of 'man's best friend' on its head. The new campaign, created by advertising agency BBDO San Francisco, features a video showcasing real women and their canine best friends who stand by their side at all times. To support the campaign, the brand has teamed up with Elias Weiss Freidman, the photographer behind the popular website and New York Times bestselling book, The Dogist, to capture the real-life stories of 14 every day women, as well as actress Lucy Hale, to share her relationship with her dog.
Actress Lucy Hale spends some quality time with her furry best friend, Elvis, as a part of Cesar(R) Brand's Women's Best Friend Too campaign.
Tracy and Bear, Cockapoo (2 y/o) "Bear is our second dog. My daughter wanted another, and I told her she had to do research to find the best dog for us. She did research for years... and came up with a Cockapoo. We got Bear right at eight weeks old; she was three and a half pounds and looked like a little teddy bear." Tracy remembers that when she and her daughter went to pick out their puppy, "Bear ran right into my daughter's lap and gave her a kiss on the cheek. We always say she picked us."
Ana and Stella, Chihuahua mix (2 y/o) "She's a food snob, like me. That makes us true New Yorkers." Stella is Ana's first dog, and she loves good belly rubs, chasing after squirrels and romping in Washington Square Park. "I bring her to work with me every day," Ana says. "She gives me a reason to take a break." When asked how she'd describe their relationship, Ana says, "I love her unconditionally. The love between you and your dog is just different."
Nuala and Magnus, German Shephard (1.5 y/o) Nuala brought Magnus to NYC all the way from Thailand, where he was born. "Most people are afraid of German Shephards," Nuala says. "But they don't need to be afraid of Magnus. He's soft." Every morning, Nuala takes Magnus outside for an hour of play to help him burn through his energy before he accompanies her to work. "He's my protector," says Nuala. "The day my boyfriend left for basic training, I was very upset. Magnus stood by me all day."
Stephonik and Ruby Tuesday, Chihuahua (3 y/o) "She's very skittish. Loud noises and big trucks scare her." Ruby was found on a beach in Puerto Rico, and Stephonik is writing a children's book about her journey to New York. "My job is to comfort her and make sure she feels safe," Stephonik says. "Ruby really puts life into perspective for me. When she's scared of small things, it's easy to write them off. But then I realize sometimes I'm scared of small things, too. We're great companions."
Ann-Cristin and Penelope & Gunther, German Shepherd and Boxer (2 y/o and 2 y/o) "Being a dog walker keeps me sane," Ann-Cristin says. "It combines the three things I need in life: being outdoors, being active, and being with animals." Ann-Cristin walks more than 20 dogs, and loves it because of the way dogs give back to you. "Just like how children frustrate parents, dogs can do that, too," Ann-Cristin says. "But they offer the same unconditional love."
Barbara and Molly, Daschund (9 y/o) "I had three dogs before, but they never felt like mine." During her 35-year-long career, Barbara's pups were taken care of by walkers and groomers. Since retiring and getting Molly, she has a lot more free time - and they spend most of it together. "She's the first dog that feels like she's truly mine," Barbara says. When she went to pick out a puppy, Barbara was actually looking for a male dog, but then Molly trotted over and chose her.
Cozette and Cairo, German Shepherd/Collie mix (3 y/o) "I went to all the agencies in New York, and they didn't want to give me a dog because of my age," Cozette remembers. But when she found Cairo through a friend, it was an instant connection. "We bonded immediately in the car on the way home. He went right to the door, ran up the steps, jumped up onto the bed and said 'I'm home.'" And Cairo needed a home: he had just come from Egypt, where he was rescued through Angels for Animals.
Julie and Stella, Border Collie (7 y/o) "Stella was my boyfriend's dog. I didn't understand how he had a dog, being a young person living in a city. It's a lot of hard work. But after I met her I couldn't imagine my life without her anymore." Julie is Brazilian, and Stella keeps her from feeling lonely when she's so far from her family back home. Stella's happy disposition filters out the sadness. "She's amazing," Julie says. "She loves me for no reason. She loves me just because I'm me."
Jasmine and Louie, Miniature Poodle (8 y/o) Louie has lived through it all with Jasmine: high school, college and a move to the big city. "Living in New York, you don't get that many warm welcomes," Jasmine says. "It's just nice to go home and see a friendly face, someone who's ready to hang with you - not go out on a Friday night." Bringing Louie to New York from her parents' place in the suburbs helped Jasmine grow up, from learning to keep a schedule to putting someone before herself."
Gloria and Bo & Rex, Havanese and Doberman Pinscher (3.5 y/o and 2 y/o) "I got Bo because I was having some very hard anxiety and depression issues. I trained her myself, and she basically does little things like remind me to take my medication, or when I'm sad, she'll come up to me and do these silly things. You can't be sad when you're watching her be all silly." As for Rex, Gloria has wanted a Doberman since she was two (and even has one tattooed on her neck). "He's just so happy."
Natalie and Bones, Australian Cattle Dog mix (4 y/o) "She was the only puppy that didn't care about me," Natalie says of her pup, Bones, on the day she picked her out. "But when I held her, she made eye contact. All the other dogs were kind of googly-eyed and couldn't focus, but she was, like, IN IT. She saw me." Natalie had always dreamed of having a male dog, but she and this sweet girl are everything to each other. "I think about her all the time when I'm not with her."
Nancy and Fiona, Mable & Archie, Chihuahuas (11, 8 and 12 y/o) "I know it seems nuts. Going from two to three is a bit of a leap." But adding Archie to this wolf pack actually made the energy in Nancy's house calmer, stopping Fiona and Mable from being so competitive with one another. "Animals are highly intuitive," says Nancy. "It's behavioral, and it's beyond that. My mom passed away two months ago and I was having trouble crying. I just couldn't get there. But they helped me."
Shakirah and Khani, Shih-Tzu (5 y/o) "My mom used to call her Macaque, which means Monkey in French. We're Haitian. She'd always respond to it, even though that's not her name." When Shakirah's mother passed away, Khani was there with unconditional love and playfulness to pull her out of her sadness. "We care for each other in ways that I don't think exist in a human relationship," Shakirah says. "She doesn't really love other dogs, and I always let her know that that's okay."
Kristin and Butters, Pomeranian (9 y/o) "I grew up with cats. They're more independent, but they don't bond the same way dogs do." Butters is Kristin's first dog, and since she fits easily into a bag, she travels everywhere with her. "I've met a lot of people because of Butters," Kristin says. "I'm actually taking Japanese lessons for free from a woman whose only payment is seeing Butters when I go for lessons!" When asked why Butters is her best friend, Kristin says, "She's a mirror of me."
"CESAR Brand believes in celebrating the bond between dogs and their human companions. The 'Woman's Best Friend Too' campaign showcases the depth of the relationships between women and their pups with stories from real women in a variety of scenarios and showing how their dogs stick by their side when they need them the most," said Dan Jackson, Marketing Director at Mars Petcare. "It's a campaign that truly celebrates the love between women and their dogs."
To bring "Woman's Best Friend Too" to life, Elias Weiss Freidman took to the streets of New York, capturing images and stories of 14 real women and their canine companions. Friedman captured women from all walks of life, including Shakirah DeMesier, 29, from New York City, whose pup Khani helped her through the loss of her mother. "My mom used to call her Macaque, which means monkey in French. We're Haitian. She'd always respond to it, even though that's not her name." When Shakirah's mother passed away, Khani was there with unconditional love and playfulness to pull her out of her sadness. "We care for each other in ways that I don't think exist in a human relationship."
Actress and dog lover Lucy Hale has also joined the campaign to share her own special relationship with her dog, Elvis. As Lucy puts it, "Elvis is my majestic little creature! He joins me on the road and at home as my constant companion. His playful and mischevious personality reminds me of my childhood dog, Jack. This similarity helps keep me close to my family and friends back home in Tennessee."
The images and stories from Lucy Hale, our influencer partners, the women featured in the videos and the real women photographed as part of this series can be found online at Facebook.com/Cesar and Instagram.com/CesarCuisine. In addition the embeddable "Woman's Best Friend Too" video can be found at https://youtu.be/8UexoKOu47s.
For more information on CESAR or to find out where you can purchase online, visit cesar.com/products.
About CESAR® Canine Cuisine CESAR® Canine Cuisine is a high-quality line of premium dry and wet dog food and dog treats for small- to medium-sized dogs. The CESAR® Brand wants to transform mealtime into moments of shared joy by providing irresistible taste and unparalleled variety all dogs love. The CESAR® Brand offers three flavors in their dry food line, including Slow Roasted Lamb Flavor & Spring Vegetables. The Brand also offers a variety of irresistible wet food flavors in their Original Pate and Gourmet Filets in Sauce textures, as well as their HOME DELIGHTS™ line that provides comfort food favorites so your dog can enjoy the same meals that you do. For more information, visit www.cesar.com.
About Mars Petcare Mars Petcare US is the U.S. operations of the world's largest petcare company at the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. Mars Petcare US produces some of the world's most beloved pet care brands, including PEDIGREE® Food and Treats for Dogs, CESAR® Canine Cuisine, IAMS™ Pet Food, SHEBA® Entrees for Cats, WHISKAS® Food for Cats, GREENIES™ Dental Chews and PILL POCKETS™ Treats, NUTRO™ Pet Food, EUKANUBA™ Pet Food and TEMPTATIONS™ Treats for Cats, as well as exclusive brands products for some of the leading retailers in the U.S. Headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., more than 3,700 Mars Petcare US associates make, sell and distribute its high-quality pet food from 20 manufacturing facilities located in communities across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.mars.com.
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