The Dodo is the #1 digital media brand in the world for animal people, owning the animal category across social platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. We're a halo brand for everyone who loves animals -- from people who are obsessed with their pets all the way to committed animal advocates. We create fun, authentic, and meaningful content that not only entertains, but makes people feel connected to animals and empowered to help where it's needed. We cater to a social, mobile-first audience and each piece of content is optimized to feel native to the platform.
During the last year, The Dodo truly dominated not only the pet and animal landscape but also media and entertainment more broadly on social. When Facebook launched its new video platform, Watch, in August last year, we saw a huge opportunity to leverage our massive following we have built on Facebook and experiment with longer, episodic formats. Our first foray into this new format and platform was our original series, Comeback Kids: Animal Edition. We told the stories of animals who've had a rough start in life — until they found someone who refused to give up on them. Our mid-form series shows these comeback kids' transformation and what it means to be truly resilient.
Last summer, The Dodo was an official launch partner for Facebook's new Watch platform and we debuted our first original mid-form series Comeback Kids: Animal Edition. This was an opportunity to establish a strong presence on Facebook Watch right out of the gate; experiment with longer-form content; build new communities; and showcase our ability to adapt and thrive on new platforms and in new formats. We wanted to inspire viewers by spotlighting determined, resilient animals who, thanks to the help of very generous people, rebounded to live their best lives. Season one starred five "comeback kids" -- including a neglected pony whose hooves were so long that he could barely walk, a dog who lost her legs but was determined to walk again, and a stray kitten adopted by a Husky. The series highlights everyday people who go to extraordinary lengths to help these animals in need, proving that a little love can make a huge difference and change an animal's life forever.
In March 2018, we debuted season two of our hit show across Facebook Watch and YouTube with five episodes starring new "comeback kids" -- including a baby cow rescued during a hurricane, a tiny bulldog who taught himself how to walk, and a frozen kitten who was brought back to life.
Our series has evolved over the course of its journey. We are diving deeper into the animals' stories and also highlighting a more diverse set of animals. Comeback Kids' episodes tackle key issues such as the dog meat trade and backyard breeding to encourage our viewers to take action. By going deeper into each story, we are able to show that all animals are resilient just like us when given a second chance at life.
Comeback Kids: Animal Edition is one of the most successful Facebook Watch series to date and has helped make The Dodo the #1 most-loved publisher on the platform (in terms of "love" reactions per episode). The series, which includes two seasons and 10 standalone episodes has seen the following success:
