PDSA downloadable pets aim to pull in donations

by Bill Britt, Marketing Direct 10-Nov-04

Veterinary charity PDSA is this month launching downloadable cyber pets to pull in donations and encourage people to become involved in foreign fundraising challenges.

People will be able to download one of four desktop pets to play with from a PDSA website. Users will be asked, but not required, to make a £1 donation using their credit card.

PDSA area fundraising manager Emma Cordery said the main purpose of the desktop pet is to raise awareness of its fund-raising events such as trekking along Peru's Inca trail.

Users can also opt to receive email news flashes about PDSA events, which will be delivered via their pet through a speech bubble.

DM agency LIDA created and implemented the PDSA campaign, which will be promoted using online and print advertising.

The first cyberpet was a goldfish called MOPy Fish which London-based news media company Global Beach created in 1997 for Hewlett-Packard to encourage office workers to do Multiple Original Printing on their printer rather than always using the photocopier.