Doug the Pug, one of the world’s most famous and most followed dogs on social media, is starring in his first ever movie! This calls for an epic social moment. To celebrate Doug the Pug as Monchi in the upcoming animated comedy THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES (formerly CONNECTED), Sony Pictures was the first studio to use Instagram Reels for a casting announcement.
Taking advantage of the global launch of Instagram Reels on August 5th, Sony Pictures created two videos to debut that morning. Doug the Pug exclusively launched the first video on Instagram (4 million followers), with the studio’s handles following shortly thereafter to share with fans the exciting news. With a unique spin on the popular transformation trend, the creative featured Doug the Pug leaping into the animated world as the adorable Monchi.
Within hours of launch, the announcement video achieved over 635,000 organic views. Favoring Instagram Reels, the platform shared Doug the Pug’s Reels within the Explore tab maximizing its reach. The post even received a like from the flagship Instagram handle for added engagement. In total, the videos received over 2.5 million organic views.
