Pedigree’s Natalia Ball on turning an underdog into a Titanium Lion

The popularity of purpose-driven marketing might have lost some of its cache since pre-COVID days, but Pedigree’s award-winning “Caramelo” campaign proves that purpose should remain a strong driver in marketers’ playbooks.

As Natalia Ball, global chief growth officer at Mars Pet Nutrition, owner of Pedigree, says, “It was not only about the purpose; it is also about driving business results.”

Ball joins The Big Impression podcast to talk about how Pedigree transformed a local Brazilian insight into a global business story. In 2025, the brand launched a campaign celebrating the country’s beloved yet overlooked mixed-breed street dog, the Vira-lata Caramelo (“caramel mutt”). These caramel-colored dogs are everywhere in Brazil and deeply embedded in pop culture, yet they are far less likely to be adopted than purebreds.

What began as just a social-first idea snowballed into something much bigger. The campaign extended beyond advertising into packaging, partnerships, a first-of-its-kind DNA initiative and even a shift in how mixed-breed dogs are recognized in official dog shows. Adoption of Caramelos jumped more than 200% in the first month. The campaign went on to earn top honors at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, including a Titanium Lion, while also delivering double-digit growth in both volume and value for the brand.

Ball explains how Pedigree’s long-standing commitment to dog adoption made the idea feel authentic rather than opportunistic. She also shares why she is now focused on the next frontier of growth: Connected commerce and making sure brands show up when AI agents, not just people, are making purchasing decisions.