As Work from Office resumes, Petco urges viewers to look after their pet's mental health

While the world preps up to join the workforce in person, the 45 second commercial by Petco raises a question What Now? Putting the spotlight on how pets experience social anxiety when left alone.

Conceptualized and executed by Droga5, the latest campaign from Petco addresses the need for pet parents to see the world through their pet’s eyes when they experience separation and a sudden transition from their loved ones. It aims to educate the pet lovers to put a proper coping mechanism and plan in place to reduce the risk of social anxiety that the animals could suffer if not carried out well.

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"Everyone's going back to work. What do you do? Do you act out? Be naughty? Get anxious? Or go where you're not supposed to?" says the voiceover as the man portrays the pet who finds it difficult to adapt to the lonely new normal and waits for hours for its owners to get back from work.

According to a new Petco survey, 72% of dog parents and 51% of cat parents believe their pets have exhibited symptoms of anxiety, but less than 25% of them can correctly identify all the physical symptoms of mental health issues.

"Our pets, including the more than 11 million new furry friends and counting that came into our homes during the pandemic, have unquestionably been our emotional saviors for the last 18+ months, and now it's our turn to be theirs," said Ron Coughlin, chairman and CEO of Petco in a media statement. "As our routines begin to change, whether it's returning to school, work, travel or more social gathering – it's more critical now than ever for pet parents to understand how these changes can affect their pets' wellbeing and what we can do to help them adjust in a healthy way."

Building on the insight, the campaign directed by David Shafei urges pet owners to consider their mental health as a priority and help them in adjusting to returning to the post-lockdown world.