As a newly launched magazine, it was essential to introduce and raise awareness about Batard to the french dog-loving community. Our mission was clear: to come up with an idea that could showcase the magazine's deep understanding of all things canine while staying faithful to the dedication of Bâtard to the welfare of dogs...
85% of dog owners can't imagine life without their loyal companions (CSA). A profound connection which they illustrate on Instagram by proudly displaying their dogs’ daily life, turning the platform into a dog show.
However, like humans, dogs need lifesaving blood transfusions from time to time. But 70% of dog owners do not know their dogs can donate blood too (VetRecord). A serious problem for French vets (and dogs) who end up posting urgent pleas on social media as they have no existing dog donor list to turn to when urging for dog blood.
Recognising that people frequently share photos of their dogs on Instagram, Batard magazine created a wake up call on social media by inviting dog owners to add a magazine-related hashtag on a cause they are likely to care about
Bâtard’s campaign gets pet owners to do something they already do, speaking to the habits of its target audience as well as of the magazine’s area of expertise – dogs. So to raise public awareness and encourage blood donation for dogs, the new French magazine, in its devotion to dog culture and lifestyle, launched the #BatardDonneur campaign on Instagram. A social media initiative that turns dog photos on Instagram into the largest database of canine blood donors available for vets! A tool that tackles blood shortage issues by helping vets to find dog donors around them. With a simple hashtag and postcode search on Instagram, they can directly contact pet owners… to save another dog’s life.
#BatardDonneur is a diversion of the use of hashtags on the platform, turning them into a powerful, connective tool. Owners were invited thanks to a social video with no paid media, to post a photo of their dog on Instagram with the hashtag #BatardDonneur and postcode to declare them as voluntary donors. Supported by 20 of the most famous french pet influencers on the platform, they have helped drive awareness for the campaign.
The campaign was launched on 9 December 2023 at a dog-friendly Christmas market at Point Ephémère, where dogs could get their photos taken and join the Instagram database. Batard has also sent the latest magazine issue to many veterinary offices which included a poster of the campaign with a text explanation about the initiative to reach dog owners in the waiting room.
700+ dogs have shared their pictures on Instagram using the hashtag #BatardDonneur, with new volunteers appearing every day.The hashtag has been adopted throughout France in around sixty departments and 42 days later, a vet shared a Reel showing a blood donation from a nearby dog donor identified thanks to the campaign hashtag. In France, the social media initiative earns free press coverage (Libération, 20 minutes, Ça m’interesse, etc) but also on radio (France inter, Europe 1, France Bleu, etc) even 3 months after its launch! Such PR around the initiative helped positioning Bâtard magazine as a new reference publication for dog lovers and reach a new potential readership on social media with +29M impressions.
