Rennie ‘Stop the Blame Game’: Gone with the wind?

Trapped wind anyone? No, us neither, but apparently it is a major issue for some, and, equally concerning, it seems that man’s best friend – the humble pooch –  has been unfairly taking the blame for human flatulence for generations. Who knew?

Well, it seems that the boffins over at heartburn and indigestion tablet brand Rennie have been working on little else for years, resulting in the launch of the brand’s new Wind Relief Pro – the first dedicated trapped wind product to cement it as a credible player in the wind relief category. Their words not ours.

Not only that, dear readers, but McCann London and Initiative Media, both part of Omnicom’s dedicated Bayer unit, Bond, are launching a major integrated campaign to bring the product to the masses.

“Stop the Blame Game” centres around the truth that dogs have taken the rap for human digestive indiscretions for long enough. Through documentary-style interviews, a staged protest and social content, Rennie shines a light on the wrongly accused mutts while positioning Rennie Wind Relief Pro as the solution.

The activity kicks off in cinema, and spans TV, digital and social with a short content series. The work enlisted a cast of well-known voices including Bill Bailey, Pete Wicks, Susie Dent, and Annette Badland, with each helping tell the stories of dogs who have unfairly shouldered the blame for their owners’ indiscretions.

The campaign launches this week and will run across multiple channels for three months.

Bayer regional category lead UK and EMEA digestive health Rebecca Huda said: “Rennie has helped people manage digestive discomfort for over 90 years, but with Rennie Wind Relief Pro we saw an opportunity to introduce our wind relief offering in a way that would genuinely capture attention.

“We loved the simplicity and humour of ‘Stop the Blame Game’ because it shines a light on a familiar experience that so many people recognise. Humour has the power to make everyday health conversations more accessible.”

McCann London executive creative director ​James Millers added: “This work is built on a lovely lateral insight which allows us to reframe the conversation around a sensitive subject in a fresh and playful way. Owners using dogs as the fall guy for their wind problems? Never acceptable. Us using dogs as the fall guy to deliver that message? That’s the kind of meta I can get behind.”

So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?

Well, pharma companies do have a pretty poor record when it comes to advertising. Can there be anything more annoying than the current Pepto-Bismol ad? You know the one, where those annoying people in a cafe suddenly burst into a musical routine “nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, DIARRHOEA!”

This is simply a different class; the voiceovers are actually funny, while the dogs’ expressions cracked us up and we are not even canine lovers… Virtually unheard of these days, despite everyone claiming to run “humourous” ads. So hats off to the team. Top trumps, indeed!

Decision Marketing Adometer: A ‘let it rip’ 10 out of 10