Be aware of the dogs: 20-foot anti-fireworks dog hijacks Helsinki’s New Year’s celebrations
New Year's Eve is a stressful experience for dogs and their owners, as fireworks can cause pets lifelong trauma. To remind people to celebrate responsibly, the Nordic pet care specialist Musti Group installed a 20-foot virtual dog at the official New Year’s event of Helsinki. The dog reacts to loud noises caused by fireworks in real time.
HELSINKI, Finland (December 21st, 2022) - The new year is once again celebrated around the world, but in many homes New Year's Eve is the scariest day of the year. Many dog owners spend the evening hiding in the bathroom trying to comfort their panicking pets. The sounds of fireworks make the evening a nightmarish experience for most dogs.
The Nordic pet care specialist Musti Group wants to bring this problem out in the open by installing a 20-foot virtual dog, Musti, at the official New Year’s event of Helsinki city. Musti has been created and animated with 3D technology, and it hears and reacts to the sounds of fireworks like real dogs around the world. The Be aware of the dogs campaign is also visible in outdoor advertising around all the biggest cities of Finland. The advertisements ask people to shoot off their fireworks as far away from residential buildings as possible.
“There are hundreds of thousands of dogs in Finland alone, but people who don’t have any pets don’t see what animals go through during New Year’s Eve,” Eveliina Rantahalvari, the Marketing Manager of Musti Group says.
“Real pets go into hiding during the night, but with the virtual dog we can bring this important message out to the streets, where people are celebrating the new year with fireworks,” Rantahalvari continues.
The official New Year’s party of Helsinki is the last place any animal would go, but that is exactly where the virtual dog Musti will be spending the evening. The giant screen Musti appears on is connected to a decibel meter, which acts as the ears of the dog. Musti will hear and react to the sounds of fireworks like any real pet would.
“Panic attacks, tremors and hiding are some of the common reactions. The symptoms often get worse as the dog gets older, and past traumas can haunt the dog so that it gets startled by even the faintest sounds,” Rantahalvari continues.
Musti Group hopes that pet owners would share their own experiences of the downsides of fireworks. People spending their evening with their pet can share their photos with the hashtag #beawareofthedogs.
“We don’t want to be judgemental or spoil anyone’s evening, but we hope that people would be aware of this issue when choosing the place where they shoot off their fireworks. The further away from residential buildings the better. This way the New Year’s Eve could be a fun experience for pets as well,” Rantahalvari concludes.
Additional information:
Eveliina Rantahalvari
Marketing Manager, Musti Group
+358 40 6616 799
eveliina.rantahalvari@mustijamirri.fi
About Musti Group
Musti makes the life of pets and their owners easier, safer, and more fun. We are the leading Nordic pet care company, and we operate an omnichannel business model to cater for the needs of pets and their owners across Finland, Sweden, and Norway. We offer a wide, curated assortment of pet products. We also provide pet care services such as grooming, training and veterinary services in selected locations.
Musti Group’s net sales were EUR 341 million in the financial year 2021. At the end of the financial year 2021, the company had 1,397 employees, 1.3 million loyal customers and 312 stores.
Read more at: www.mustigroup.com
