How Much Is That Doggy In the Window?

Dear Dog Lady,

Is it my imagination or are dog images being used to sell everything from Starbucks to Citibank? Seems there are more pictures of dogs in glossy magazines than glam shots of Jennifer Lopez.

- Stephen, Cambridge, MA

Stephen, bingo is your name-o. Dog Lady has also noticed a rampaging pack of dogs running wild on Madison Avenue.

The trend seems to be overwhelming with dogs being used in print media to advertise not just coffee and credit cards but Wrigley’s spearmint gum, IBM, Sears, General Electric appliances, Rit dyes, Clarinex allergy pills, British Airways, Banana Republic, Montauk sofas, the Helmsley Park Lane hotel, and Clorox disinfecting wipes -- just to name a few. A current magazine ad for Mastercard features an extreme closeup of a furry animal face but, to tell you the truth, Dog Lady can’t discern whether the mug belongs to a canine or a gerbil.

Dog Lady has also received a number of Christmas catalogues featuring dogs on the cover. The Land’s End home catalogue features a Golden Retriever (the most popular breed in American homes) nuzzling up against human feet sticking out of plush red covers. “Dreaming of a Warm Christmas” reads the legend on the catalogue’s cover. No better image than a soft, affectionate dog to make us feel cozy enough to call an 800 number and buy stuff.

Not to be outdone by its high-end preppy competitor, L.L. Bean also features a fluffy puppy -- a Samoyed -- on the cover of its “Best of Holiday” catalogue. The unamused pup, wearing a red gingham bow, sits with its front paws perfectly posed next to a Bean’s canvas bag of wrapped gifts. The underpaid creature has a disgusted look on its face. Admittedly, the pup is adorable but appears as if it would rather be anywhere else -- piddling on newspapers, chewing on the wrapped gifts -- than posing under the hot studio lights.

And Orvis, the preppiest contender in the landed gentry market, has come out with an entire catalogue, the holiday edition of “The Dog Book,” featuring high-end accoutrements for pampered pooches. You can guess who’s on the cover -- yup, another Golden Retriever, peacefully holding a leather leash in its mouth and staring out a window.

What’s this trend all about? Easy to figure in dollars and cents. Cute dogs don’t command supermodel salaries. They are virtually non-controversial (although Rottweilers and Pitbulls would probably not be perceived as user-friendly spokesdogs). The canine images appeal to moneyed consumers. Advertisers know that dog-owners, a huge demographic, represent a vast market potential. So dogs sell, sell, sell. It’s the American way.

Meanwhile, Dog Lady urges all human keepers of Golden Retrievers to hide the catalogues from prying canine eyes. We wouldn’t the cover stars to get J. Lo-supersized egos and start demanding human grade kibble, or Gucci rawhides, or sloppy kisses from Ben Affleck.

Posted by Dog Lady at February 25, 2003 12:00 PM