Sandra O’Loughlin

Scooby Doo and Cesar Millan Lead Family Pack Walk

Sandra O’Loughlin | Wednesday, October 31, 2012

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Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Scooby Doo and Cesar Millan, of TV’s “The Dog Whisperer” fame, executed their second National Family Pack Walk, held on Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C. This year’s event was four times the size of last year’s inaugural pack walk and expanded nationally to reach more families. It attracted more than 10,000 pet owners and pets that completed a one-and-a-half mile course then participated in kid-friendly activities designed to support the Millan Foundation’s cause of helping abused and neglected dogs.

Seventeen satellite Pack Walks took place in 10 states during the week leading up to the Washington, D.C. event, which was co-sponsored by the North Shore Animal League and Mutt-i-grees, a program that educates school children about shelter animals. Additional sponsors included Purina ONE, Vetericyn and Cesar Millan Foundation. Digital extensions included an online fundraising tool as well as Scooby Doo’s and Millan’s Facebook pages.

Activities at the main event, which covered 4.6 acres on the National Mall and featured a 55-foot Scooby Doo-themed balloon floating overhead, included an off-leash dog run area for large and small dogs, a Fur Real green-screen photo booth and a Mysterypiece Theater showing Scooby-Doo cartoons. Among the many activities, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, an interactive mobile tour and scavenger hunt, kicked off at the Pack Walk and a Mutt-i-grees Barks and Crafts Tent and Reading Lounge offered crafts and story time.

“Bringing fans together, in person, allows us to convey our messaging and engage our supporters in a more personal and meaningful way,” Maryellen Zarakas, svp-worldwide marketing and TV & Studio Licensing, told Buzz. “Providing a positive and memorable experience with some of the world’s most beloved characters and brands will have a positive long-term impact on everyone involved.” Agency: Grand Central Marketing, New York City.