Get a Cats-eye View with Morris the Cat in EVB's 9Lives Campaign

We all know that cats are social currency on the Internet. But no feline has scratched the latest tech trend, until now. Iconic 9Lives mascot Morris the Cat will boldly go where no cat has gone before as the first cat to adopt wearable technology in “Cat’s Eye View,” an interactive online experience that lets pet lovers guide Morris as he test drives his wearable technology on a fully interactive indoor adventure.

Big Heart Pet Brands and agency EVB have created the entertaining website to let pet lovers live the good life through the eyes of the legendary spokescat. The effort, which launches Oct. 7, showcases 9Lives’ Lean & Tasty dry food. 

In what 9Lives is calling, “The Choosiest Cat Video on the Internet”, Cat’s Eye View lets visitors navigate Morris the Cat's journey at http://9lives.com/ as they see the world from his perspective. Paid online display and a PR campaign will support the effort, which is EVB’s first work for 9Lives.

As a self proclaimed “early adopter of early adopting”, Morris schools his owner on the finer points of wearables while she straps smart-cam goggles and a Wi-Fi-enabled activity-monitor collar on her persnickety pet in the introductory video. The sassy feline roams around his spacious, two-story home making his trademark dry, witty comments as his cat-cam goggles captures him engaging in typical feline behavior (napping, laser chasing, cramming his physique into a too-small box, and, of course, eating). 

Along the journey, Morris’ high-tech goggles gather intel that is displayed along with interactive prompts that let the audience guide him to the “Salon” (e.g., roll around on a pair of black slacks that look shed-worthy), the “Gym” (the bathroom, where he spars with a toilet paper roll) or the kitchen (to feast on Lean & Tasty, which he orders mass quantities of online with help from his digital device). The experience is filled with Easter Eggs for people to find. Some Easter eggs include coupons for 9Lives along with Morris memorabilia, such as classic commercials, vintage publicity photos and a downloadable poster featuring Morris dressed in his wearable-tech wardrobe.

“We wanted to bring Morris back in a way that inserted him into a relevant, “highly opinionated” conversation in culture. Wearable Technology was the right fit because people either love it or hate it. Cat’s Eye View lets Morris share his POV on wearable tech while letting people enjoy Morris’ sense of humor. But unlike the commercials he’s starred in, Cat’s Eye View lets people actually engage with this advertising icon.” —Patrick Maravilla VP and Group Creative Director, EVB.

While targeted at pet lovers of all ages, EVB designed Cat’s Eye View to be natively mobile to introduce younger folks to the franchise by following Morris on their smartphones, tablets and desktop computers. Morris, who has been 9Lives’ mascot for nearly 50 years, is no stranger to social media and technology: The star of 50 ads (and two feature films) has a Facebook page with 250,000 Likes, and he has used it to publicize his 2012 presidential bid (his second) and ongoing pet-adoption program, Morris' Million Cat Rescue, which was designed by Smith Brothers Agency. Earlier this year, EVB created the first feline online-funding platform, Catstarter, for Big Heart Pet’s Meow Mix brand.