When Marcelo Pena Costa saw a Buzzfeed roundup of fun facts from news stories about eccentric Brazilian musician Zeca Pagodinho, one jumped out at him: whenever Zeca drank too much beer at a shopping mall, he would go to a pet store and buy a dog. (In Brazil, beer is served in malls).
Mr. Costa, owner and creative director of Sao Paulo creative lab Senores, was inspired to bring together two of his clients, pet adoption charity Adote um Focinho and Bamberg, a craft beer he said was looking for an out-of-the-box way to engage with customers.
So in March 2015 Bamberg brewed a batch of "Sem Dono" beer ("Abandoned" beer), with six different labels, each featuring a picture and brief description of an adorable dog hoping to be adopted. According to the beer bottles, Balu is "friendly and always serene" and Nero is "really smart." All six dogs found homes, and visits and donations to the shelter increased, Mr. Costa said.
The campaign garnered 20 million social media impressions, with no paid media. That's unusual in Brazil, where campaigns often come with big media budgets, but a hallmark of Senores.