Merrick Pet Care Inc., a leader in the super premium pet food category based in Amarillo, Texas, has selected Carmichael Lynch as its agency of record. The news was announced late yesterday at an all-agency meeting, where employees' dogs sampled Merrick pet foods and treats.

“Carmichael Lynch is passionate about the Merrick brand and doing some really fun, inspiring work — like we do for so many other clients — that taps consumer passion for pets and achieves extraordinary business results,” said Doug Spong, president of Carmichael Lynch.

The agency dedicates itself to creating strong emotional bonds between iconic brands and their avid consumers, including creative work for pet lovers with such brands as Subaru of America, the Animal Humane Society and Petco.

“I was first attracted to Carmichael Lynch when I saw their Subaru ‘Dog Tested. Dog Approved.’ campaign," said Carolyn Hanigan, vice president of marketing for Merrick. "When we met their talented staff and saw their creative idea for igniting demand for the Merrick brand, it was a clear and easy choice which agency was going to be our advertising, digital, social and PR partner."

Carmichael Lynch will be doing a brand relaunch for Merrick, which offers all natural pet food products and treats with ingredients that primarily are sourced locally. The campaign is expected to debut this July.

About Merrick Pet Care, Inc.
Merrick Pet Care is a leader in the super premium pet food category based in Amarillo, Texas. Merrick's Kitchen cooks up three branded product lines: Merrick pet foods and treats focused on holistic, all-natural ingredients; Before Grain, healthy, grain-free, high protein pet food; and Whole Earth Farms, premium, nutritious pet food for the price-sensitive consumer. Merrick's pet food brands are available nationally at Petco, independent pet specialty stores and online. For more information, visit www.merrickpetcare.com.

The Animal Humane Society and creative agency Carmichael Lynch this week launched the “Law of the Paw" campaign – an initiative to raise awareness about the importance of adopting, spaying/neutering and tagging pets. The campaign asks people to sign a pledge to adopt these three behaviors, with the goal of attaining one million signatures in three years. The effort is not branded to one organization so any animal welfare organization in the country can use the creative.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a short film created by Carmichael Lynch. The film traces the journey of a rescue dog named Magpie from a harsh life on the streets to a caring shelter to her forever home. The entire piece is filmed from the dog’s perspective. To achieve this effect, the production company, Futuristic Films, attached a small PENTAX Q camera to a vest on Magpie’s back.

“This film shows just how dramatic a difference you can make in the life of an animal,” said Carmichael Lynch Chief Creative Officer Dave Damman. “Pets are an important part of the Carmichael Lynch family, so we loved working with the Animal Humane Society and supporting their Law of the Paw initiative.”

As a teaser to the campaign, Carmichael Lynch placed cardboard dog houses in high-traffic areas in downtown Minneapolis. The houses visually demonstrated how many homeless pets live on the streets today. Also, as a twist on traditional “lost” posters, Carmichael Lynch created “found” posters featuring animals available for adoption at local shelters. The posters encouraged people to adopt a pet and make a promise to help all pets by signing the Law of the Paw.

Advertising Age ranked Carmichael Lynch No. 29 on its third annual Best Places to Work in Marketing & Media list. The list celebrates the top 40 firms in the nation based on an employee survey that measures aspects of the workplace environment that contribute to an engaged staff. Carmichael Lynch employees rave about the culture, from rooftop concerts to artwork displayed throughout the agency. Carmichael Lynch has made the list twice in the last three years. Click here to read the article http://brinx.it/UEM.

Carmichael Lynch executives will address the “new normal” for women at the eighth annual Marketing to Women Conference (M2W®), April 24 and 25 in Chicago. Kelly Thompson, director of brand planning at Carmichael Lynch advertising, and Maria Reitan, senior principal at Carmichael Lynch Spong public relations, will share proprietary research results on the economic recession’s impact on women and provide strategic insights on how marketers can breakthrough in this changed economic climate.

Carmichael celebrated its golden anniversary on Friday evening with a party at Minneapolis restaurant Solera. More than 500 guests came to get down, including CL alums and clients. Highlights of the evening included the O’Gong Show (where agency newcomers have to perform for the veterans), a live band and, thanks to Mother Nature, a record high temperature. The celebration of CL’s longevity and ingenuity will continue throughout the year with Random Acts of Creativity. So keep your eyes open, you never know where creativity will strike next.