OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF ANIMAL PLANET’S PUPPY BOWL XIII GIVES VIEWERS A VIRTUAL REALITY « PUP’S-EYE-VIEW » AND NEW PLAYFUL PUPPY VIDEOS

credit photo PEDIGREE®

PEDIGREE® Brand Partners With NFL Legend Jerry Rice To Gear Up For New Puppy Experience

For the 12th year in a row, the PEDIGREE® Brand is sponsoring Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIII – the cutest canine competition of the year, which returns with an epic matchup between Team Ruff and Team Fluff’s adoptable players who go nose to nose to win hearts and forever homes. This year, PEDIGREE® will sponsor a « Puppy Bowl Virtual Reality » experience – giving viewers a « pup’s-eye-view » of the action on the field – as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the « pupletes » in training with never-before-seen videos. Fans will also get to see how the furry friends of some of football’s greatest stars prep for the big game with adorable personal photos.

The pupletes will hit the air on both coasts when Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl premieres on Sunday, February 5 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT.

As part of the campaign, the PEDIGREE® brand has co-created two new videos – Heart of a Champion and Road to Gridiron Glory – with Animal Planet that show the adorable pupletes on their journey to becoming Puppy Bowl champs, from training, to recovery and a healthy diet. The videos will be aired on Animal Planet and also shown on the PEDIGREE® and Animal Planet social channels.

NFL stars are getting in on the action, too. The PEDIGREE® Brand is partnering with Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice and NFL quarterback Aaron Murray to show how their pups get in shape for the Puppy Bowl, just like the PEDIGREE® pupletes.

To round out the puppy experience, consumers can view the game from a pups-eye-view with the « Puppy Bowl Virtual Reality » experience, sponsored by PEDIGREE®. Viewers can check out the adorable, action-packed perspective of the game through the eyes of Buttons, one of this year’s star puppy players.

« The PEDIGREE® brand is dedicated to helping dogs find their forever homes through adoption, and Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl is a fun and playful platform to help raise awareness and support this shared cause, » said Melodie Bolin, PEDIGREE® Brand Manager. « This year, PEDIGREE® is giving viewers the total puppy experience with behind-the-scenes training videos and a virtual view of the field through Buttons’ eyes. We hope these adorable perspectives of the game will help pique viewers’ interests in bringing that puppy experience into their homes by adopting a pup of their own. »

Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl serves as a platform for pet adoption and includes a full roster of 78 adoptable puppies from 34 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, allowing the pupletes to find their forever home.

To help your puppy reach his full potential and to learn more about PEDIGREE PUPPY™ products, like PEDIGREE PUPPY™ Growth and Protection, which is packed with key nutrients similar to mother’s milk, visit www.Pedigree.com. Find us on Facebook/Pedigree, Twitter (@Pedigree) and YouTube/pedigreebrand.

About the PEDIGREE® Brand

The PEDIGREE® Brand is the number one brand of dog food and treats in the world, feeding more dogs than any other brand. The PEDIGREE® Brand offers a wide variety of products and formats for dogs at every life stage. The PEDIGREE® Brand is built on an unwavering love for all dogs and a commitment to dog adoption. For more information, please visit www.Pedigree.com.

About Mars Petcare

Mars Petcare US is the U.S. operations of the world’s largest petcare company at the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. Mars Petcare US produces some of the world’s most beloved pet care brands, including PEDIGREE® Food and Treats for Dogs, CESAR® Canine Cuisine, IAMS™ Pet Food, SHEBA® Entrees for Cats, WHISKAS® Food for Cats, GREENIES™ Dental Chews and PILL POCKETS™ Treats, NUTRO™ Pet Food, EUKANUBA™ Pet Food and TEMPTATIONS™ Treats for Cats, as well as exclusive brands products for some of the leading retailers in the U.S. Headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., more than 3,700 Mars Petcare US associates make, sell and distribute its high-quality pet food from 20 manufacturing facilities located in communities across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.mars.com.

About Animal Planet

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit franchise series RIVER MONSTERS, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES and TREEHOUSE MASTERS and the home of provocative and award-winning specials and documentary films presented under the banner ANIMAL PLANET PRESENTS. Animal Planet’s programming also includes quarterly tent pole TV events PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV on Super Bowl Sunday, and MONSTER WEEK. Animal Planet is the premiere TV, digital and social community for animal lovers and pet owners, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Animal Planet assets including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US, that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; Animal Planet social including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

®/™ Trademarks © Mars, Incorporated 2017. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE PEDIGREE(R) Brand