Dog high heels. No, they don’t exist, but should they?? Watch Semiserious tackle the luxury pet fashion market, one of the fastest-growing categories in CPG, by building a brand strategy for them live.
To further humiliate, err, challenge ourselves, we work through who buys this, how to position dog heels between functional paw protection and pure fashion statement, naming, and how to make pet fashion go viral…for the entire World Wide Web (and its pets) to see.
This episode is for pet brand marketers, luxury pet product sellers, pet fashion enthusiasts, and dog owners who’ve considered the accessory possibilities.
So bark twice if you had to read that headline twice to make sure you weren’t hallucinating, and then find a sun spot to watch this whole episode of ‘Can They Brand That?®‘! Hosted by: Allie LeFevere and Lyndsay Rush Sanders
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro & Show Rundown and Discussing AI Slop in Branding, The Pet Fashion Marketing Landscape, and Today’s Branding Challenge: Can They Brand Dog High Heels?
08:00 The Brainstorm Begins!
08:22 Building a Pet Fashion Brand From Scratch: Discussing Target Audience and Brand Positioning, Ideating a Brand Identity, Brand Names, Taglines, Brand Voice, Messaging, Packaging Design, Visual Identity, Funny Campaigns, Stunts, Activations, Product Lines, Marketing Strategies, and an Influencer Strategy for Dog High Heels
31:12 Mascot O’Clock [Funny Mascot Ideas]
48:49 Funded or Done-ded [Would this idea get funded? Should someone hire us to actually brand it?]
Key Branding Ideas from This Episode:
- Brands often avoid humor, fearing it undermines credibility, but it can be a competitive advantage for differentiation and engagement.
- Humor shifts a brand from being just informational to memorable and emotionally resonant, encouraging risk-taking and authenticity.
- Absurdity can be a strategic tool for innovative storytelling that captures attention and fosters brand loyalty. It disrupts habitual patterns, making brands stand out and inviting sharing and virality.
- Using humor, wordplay, and pop culture references transforms products into memorable cultural symbols, enhancing emotional connection.
- Cultural cues create instant recognition and inside humor, making the brand relatable and shareable.
- Foreclosing traditional strategy enables creative freedom, allowing unconventional ideas to surface naturally.
- This looser brainstorming approach reduces self-censorship, letting risky ideas emerge, which are often the most innovative.
- Branding based on humor and absurdity creates opportunities for organic conversations, virality, and community building.
- Conversational branding leads to word-of-mouth and community pride, key for building legacy and long-term awareness.
- Playful mascots or slogans invite sharing and turn consumers into brand advocates.
- Brands that acknowledge their playfulness and absurdity reinforce authenticity, making humor a core part of identity.
- Self-awareness signals confidence, helping the audience trust and connect more deeply.
Semiserious is a female-founded humor branding agency for CPG brands. Their sweet spot is working with founder-led or venture-backed DTC startups to build brands using comedy as a core strategy to help brands stand out in a crowded market. Their roster includes industry darlings like Clif Bar, Native, Blue Bunny, Waterboy, Pie, Argent, JOI, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Yogi Tea, Choice Organics, GEN Z, The University of Chicago, Alleyoop, Better Than Booze, Backwoods, Bad Rabbit, U Suck at Golf, Hobbyist, and the Dallas Cowboys, but they would never brag about it in their bio. This funny branding agency has offices in Chicago and Nashville, but works with clients globally.
Say hi or snoop around:
🔔 Subscribe for weekly branding brainstorms → https://www.youtube.com/@semiseriousagency
📺 Watch the full Can They Brand That? show series → https://bit.ly/can-they-brand-that-playlist
🌐 Work with Semiserious: https://semiseriousagency.com/
ICYMI, this show exists 1) to champion originality and creativity in a sea of AI slop, 2) to show potential clients the power and value of fun as a consumer-converting strategy, and 3) to bring some much-needed levity into the world where we can.
#PetFashionBranding #CanTheyBrandThat #HumorBranding #BrandStrategy #FunnyMarketing
