São Paulo, June 2025 – AlmapBBDO has just notched a milestone: the first Titanium Lion in its history at the International Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, for the “Caramelo” campaign, created for the leading brand in dog food in Brazil and worldwide, PEDIGREE®️. The agency was the only Brazilian firm to bring home a Titanium in 2025, widely considered the most prestigious and coveted award in the ceremony.
Created in 2003 by Dan Wieden, cofounder of Wieden+Kennedy, the Titanium Lion is reserved for disruptive, provocative ideas that break new ground in branded communications. The award celebrates work that displays game-changing creativity and inspires genuine transformation in the market and society.
The “Caramelo” campaign stars a classic Brazilian mutt, the Vira-Lata Caramelo, as the representative of all mixed-breed dogs. The initiative was designed to encourage responsible adoption and cut down on abandonment, especially of mutts, which make up the lion’s share of pets waiting for a home in shelters and are 90% less likely to be adopted.
“This is a campaign with a Brazilian soul,” says Marco “Pernil” Giannelli, AlmapBBDO’s CCO. “Bringing home the top award at the most important advertising festival in the world is a tremendous honor. Even more so in a year when Brazil is the country being honored. This should do away with Brazilian advertising’s ‘underdog syndrome’ once and for all.”
Featuring actress and TV host Tatá Werneck – who has made a name for herself as a defender of animal rights – and the support of celebrities such as João Vicente de Castro, Gabriel Louchard, Alejandro Claveaux, Jhonatan Oliveira, Gustavo Tubarão, TET, and the influencer @viralatacaramelo, the campaign kicked off with Tatá complaining on social media that her dog, Maminha, had been barred from a dog show because she “didn’t have a breed.”
Then PEDIGREE®️, in partnership with AlmapBBDO, rolled out a national campaign with a suite of groundbreaking initiatives: a broad-ranging genetic study of 350 mixed-breed dogs, conducted with DNA Pets; the creation of the Caramelo Kennel Club, a community for Caramelo caretakers; the Caramelo Dog Show, an event to celebrate and boost adoptions of the country’s favorite brand of mutt; and even rebooted Pedigree packaging featuring a Caramelo.
With multiplatform communications and a leading presence on social media, the campaign racked up 237 million impressions, boosted the brand’s organic engagement by 400%, got 99% positive reactions, drove a 218% increase in the adoptions of mixed-breed dogs in the first month.
“We couldn’t be prouder of this project – it’s the perfect marriage of purpose and high-level creativity,” says Filipe Bartholomeu, AlmapBBDO’s CEO and President. “It’s the proof that when communications connect to the culture and solves a real problem, they can help transform a business, brands, and the world. And having that recognized with a Titanium at Cannes is a dream come true.”
More than just a campaign, “Caramelo” has become a social movement with global potential. In its wake, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the world’s largest federation of kennel clubs and purebred registries, reached out to Mars and decided to allow mixed-breed dogs in its competitions. A historic change for mutts, in Brazil and across the world.
“This is a historic achievement and a source of great pride for us, who are passionate advocates for the animal cause. We believe in the power of creativity as a tool for mobilization and social transformation. We showed the world that our challenge of turning Caramelo into a true icon of the cause touched people, generated engagement, and created real social impact. All of this with the ongoing goal of making the world a better place for pets,” celebrates Rodrigo Alfieri, Global Marketing Manager at PEDIGREE®️.
In addition to the Titanium Lion, CARAMELO was also recognized with a Gold Lion in Creative Strategy, a Silver Lion in Direct, and a Bronze for Social & Creator.
Click here to watch the campaign film, and find out more at the PEDIGREE® website.
