TELUS MyPet App Eases the Stress of Coaxing Pets to the Vets

Director Matt Uhry and production company Rodeo Show partnered with Makers and Camp Jefferson to produce an ad for TELUS Health MyPet, a new mobile app that lets you visit a veterinarian from your phone. The lively spot, 'MyPet,' depicts a frustration that all pet owners share - coaxing your pet into a trip to the vet’s office.

Leaning into his deep experience as a director of animal and pet-related content, Uhry worked with lead set trainer Sheigh Crabtree in Los Angeles to cast 17 animals for the spot. In capturing the pet-corralling moments, the team brought forth the unique personality of each animal before resolving the action in a happy place – emphasising the ease and convenience of visiting MyPet from home.

“We wanted to convey the hijinks of getting pets to the vet as something that’s both endearing and comical,” says Matt. “By basing it on behaviours I knew we could capture from our animal performers - like escaping out of an open window or hiding under the bed - we were able to put together this very relatable commercial.”

Uhry points out that the greatest challenge of the spot was humorously depicting cats and dogs resisting a visit to the vet. This meant that rather than working from a place of fear, animals performed trained behaviours with joy and precision. This required Uhry and his team to get creative in their storytelling, working with the various animals and their unique skill sets. For example, one cat was adept at shutting a door with its paw, while a 120-pound Great Pyrenees dog preferred to remain immovable.

“The Pyrenees is a guard dog by nature and can be quite stoic and strong-willed,” notes Matt. “She just would not move, so for this spot, we didn’t have to train her to stay still, it’s just her nature. She stole the show in a way, even without having to do any tricks. Her performance is rooted in authenticity and breed-specific characteristics.”

Working closely alongside Julia, Matt was able to capture client TELUS’s signature purple and green digital style. “It’s such a blessing when you have someone as good as Julia, with such a clear vision for what she and the client want, and who’s great at articulating what she was looking for,” recalls Uhry. 

Looking back on the project as a whole, Matt is pleased with the results of his approach to working with animals. 

“The basic principle is that every animal has a positive experience on set,” concludes Matt. “It was a fun challenge, logistically, getting this much shot in the amount of time. While this shoot was challenging in its scope, it did not feel hard since it was so well aligned with what I do.”