Merrick Stages Doggie Version of "Occupy" to Plug Pet Food

On Tuesday, Merrick Pet Care's 'Doggupy' promotion took over Union Square in New York, with more than 40 canines and their handlers touting the importance of nutritional, locally made pet food.
On Tuesday, Merrick Pet Care's "Doggupy" promotion took over Union Square in New York, with more than 40 canines and their handlers touting the importance of nutritional, locally made pet food.
Photo: Courtesy of Merrick Pet Care

As a play on the Occupy Wall Street movement that dominated headlines last year, Merrick Pet Care held a rally of its own on Tuesday—with dogs. Cheekily dubbed "Doggupy," the promotion in New York's Union Square involved more than 40 canines and their handlers "demanding" a more widespread commitment to locally sourced, protein-rich pet food made in the U.S. The point was, naturally, to highlight the company's brand of organic fare.

Dressed like the Occupy encampment with tents, metal barricades, and signs that read, "United we sit, together we stay," and, "Liberate the bowl," the publicity stunt produced by Lipari Production Group also invited the participation of the public. In addition to inviting consumers to bring their own pets to join the faux protest, dogs were recruited from animal service organizations, and the organizers created what they called a "pawtition" on Merrick's Facebook page, where dog owners could share photos of their pooches and enter to win a year's supply of Merrick dog food.

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