When Love Is Blind dominated social feeds, Hundstallet, The Swedish Canine Welfare Association, turned the cultural phenomenon into a real-world behavioral experiment – with one goal: to change how people choose dogs.
Created together with BBDO Nordics, the campaign “Dog Love Should Also Be Blind” removed every photo of adoptable dogs from Hundstallet’s website, replacing images with text-based profiles centered on personality, needs, energy levels, and lifestyle fit.
The idea tackled a growing issue: as one in three Swedes say social media influences their choice of dog, appearance has increasingly become a deciding factor when adoption. That often leads to poor matches, returns, and, ultimately, more dogs re-entering the shelter system.
“When people break up, both parties can move on. But when someone breaks up with a dog, that dog often ends up at Hundstallet. We wanted to create a solution that not only highlighted the issue, but also encouraged people to actually change a behavior that negatively impacts dogs’ lives,” said Isabelle de Susini, Art Director at BBDO Nordics.
The initiative delivered clear behavioral signals. During the campaign, clicks to the expression-of-interest form increased by 16%, indicating stronger engagement from prospective adopters. Website traffic also rose by approximately 40%, while PR measurement showed an estimated 30–40% increase in reach.
“The applications we received during the campaign were far more relevant and better matched. For us, that made quality – rather than quantity – the clearest measure of success,” said Johnny Kroneld, Head of Communications and Fundraising at Hundstallet.
The background to the initiative was clear: the number of dogs arriving at Hundstallet has been increasing, and mismatched adoptions are a common reason. Many dogs are chosen based on appearance rather than personality, which can ultimately create challenges for both dog and owner and, in many cases, lead to rehoming.
Running across digital, social, print, and out-of-home, the campaign turned a cultural conversation about blind love into a practical adoption tool – reframing what responsible dog adoption should look like in a social-first world.
