Homeless pets star in M&C Saatchi campaign for Sydney Dogs & Cats Home launched tonight

Homeless pets will star ina ‘photographic exhibition’ showing all over Sydney in a unique campaign byM&C Saatchi and Adshel for the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (SD&CH).

Twenty one of Australia’s top photographersdonated their time and expertise to shoot one-off portraits of 63 dogs and catsas well as the odd rabbit and duck, from SD&CH for ‘Limited Edition’, anexhibition that will use all of Sydney as its gallery.

The one-of-a-kind prints, signed and numbered bythe photographer, have been rendered into superlites donated by Adshel fordisplay in high traffic locations all over the city from 23 May. Adshel isdonating $225,000 worth of media to the campaign.

The public will be directed to the SD&CHwebsite where they can view the entire ‘Limited Edition’exhibition and either bid for a one-off print, adopt the animal in it or donateto the SD&CH.

The site, which contains a video about the making of the ‘Limited Edition’campaign, can be viewed now but becomes fully operational on 23 May.

eBay will be donating its services for the onlineauction of the prints and will promote it on the ebay.com.au homepage for theduration of the campaign.

Each print carries a tagline featuring theanimal’s name e.g.: “Rufus’ Time is Limited. So is this Print”.

The campaign will roll out in three phases:

• Phase one launching 23 May.
• Phase two from 6 June ‘Sold’ and/or ‘Adopted’ stickers will be added to the posters as people adopt the animal or buy the artwork.
• Phase three will involve a new series of prints depicting a selected group of adopted animals with their new owners in their new homes from 4 July.

M&C Saatchi executive creative director BenWelsh said the campaign continues the fruitful 10-year relationship betweenM&C Saatchi and SD&CH.

“This work sits nicely with some of our pastaward-winning work with SD&CH,” Welsh said.

“We wanted to reflect the fact these animals areall one of a kind, which the Limited Edition portraits achieve beautifully.

“The images, taken by many of Australia’s bestphotographers perfectly capture the essence and spirit of their subjects.”

Adshel Marketing Director Elvira Lodewick, saidthe conversion of their ad panels into Sydney’s largest-ever outdoor gallerywill “without doubt create strong awareness for the endearing Limited Editionexhibition and motivate many Sydney-siders to provide a loving new home forthese gorgeous animals”. 

The assignment has proven a particular labour oflove for photographer Tom Luscombe who has already adopted Dusty (now renamedMoki) a beautiful two-year old Mini Pinscher cross Kelpie he met at the shelterduring the campaign shoot.

SD&CH CEO and Veterinarian Christine Colesaid the campaign was an ingenious way to showcase animals in need of a newhome.

“We can talk about facts and figures and tellstories but nothing is quite as compelling as putting a face, or in this case63 faces, forward that beautifully depicts a real, living, breathing animalready to become a loving member of a family.

“Obviously we are a charity that survives ondonations so none of this would have been possible without the amazinggenerosity of M&C Saatchi, AdShel, eBay and of course the wonderfulphotographers. Big thanks to you all, you’re life savers.”

The campaign will kick-off with a cocktail’exhibition launch’ featuring a selection of the 63 portraits in a studiogallery in Chippendale at 6pm tonight.

Photographers

Juli Balla

Toby Burrows

Terence Chin

Michael Corridore

Tamara Dean

Toby Dixon

Marc Gafen

Florian Groehn

Amelia Hawkins

Gary Heery

Jeremy Hudson

Nic Ingram

Ingvar Kenne

Adrian Lander

Tom Luscombe

Jonathan May

Michael Miller

Ruth O’Leary

Andreas Smetana

Adam Taylor

Julian Wolkenstein.