Mars Temptations: Unlocking new occasions for treating your cat
The Situation
Temptations was the category leader in U.S. cat treats, but the brand had hit a growth ceiling. People viewed Temptations treats as a special occasion treat, something to be saved for special moments. To grow, the brand needed to evolve from a once-in-a-while purchase to a year-round household essential for cat owners.
The Ask
Our goal was to drive penetration and purchase frequency among Millennial cat parents, converting occasional buyers into heavy users, and convincing new buyers to try the brand for the first time, all while maintaining the brand's signature irreverent, "weird" personality.
The Challenge
Temptations is famous for being "irresistible" – one shake of the bag and cats come running. However, Millennial cat owners were rationing their treats. They feared that if they treated their cats too often, the magic would wear off and their cats would get bored.
The Solution
Instead of fighting the "special occasion" mindset, we created more occasions to treat. We bypassed the expensive, cluttered holidays like Christmas and focused on smaller tentpole moments that resonated with our audience, like Valentine's Day and Pride Month.
We moved beyond broad demographics to reach sub-communities (like the "Single Cat Dad" or the "Netflix and Purr-er") with creative that reframed these tentpole moments as cat-inclusive celebrations. And by tying treats to a cultural calendar of micro-holidays, we gave owners a structured excuse to treat more often, without fear of diminishing the allure of Temptations.
The Execution
To anchor our Pride Month strategy, we re-contextualized a limited edition rainbow-colored product (MEOWgical Mix) for the cultural moment, proving that with Temptations, all it takes is a shake to unleash everyone's pride.
Diving into online subcultures, we partnered with catfluencer @RuPaws_Drag_Race and Project Runway designer Mondo Guerra to host the first ever "Kitty Drag Race."
We commissioned six custom high-fashion drag looks inspired by Temptations flavors and launched the activation via Instagram Stories. Fans voted for their favorite "Kween," turning our seasonal product launch into an interactive digital event.
The Results
Our activation broke through Millennials cat parents' rationing habit by giving them new reasons to treat.
Seasonal → essential. The MEOWgical Mix SKUs performed so well that they were transitioned from a limited time offer to a permanent, year-round product in the Temptations lineup.
Product line expansion. The Pride activation provided the internal proof of concept to launch an entire line of occasion-specific SKUs, including flavors for birthdays, "Gotcha Days," and other minor holidays.
Millennial growth. The activation resonated especially among Black and Hispanic Millennial cat owners – two segments that overindex in pet spending but had previously felt underserved by the category's traditional marketing – proving the value of inclusivity and hyper-relevant creativity in driving commercial growth.