New Zealand-based Greyhounds as Pets (GAP) has unveiled its nationwide campaign with a Simpsons twist, ‘Santa’s Little Helper is helping New Zealand Greyhounds this Christmas’ via Special NZ.
Following Racing Minister Winston Peters’ announcement that greyhound racing will be banned in Aotearoa from August 2026, more than 2,000 retired racing greyhounds urgently require homes, making it the biggest animal rehoming effort the country has ever faced.
To accelerate awareness and drive adoption, The Simpsons have granted New Zealand the use of scenes featuring one of the world’s most recognisable greyhounds: Santa’s Little Helper. Across 36 years of episodes, the selected scenes spotlight the traits that make greyhounds great companions – their gentle, loyal and low-maintenance nature, and their ability to bring joy into any home.
The greyhound was famously adopted by the Simpson family on Christmas Eve, and now represents the thousands of dogs waiting to be welcomed into their forever homes this Christmas holidays.
This initiative marks the second phase of an integrated campaign designed to reframe greyhounds in the hearts and minds of New Zealanders. OOH and social will roll out across the country to drive adoption demand for a breed that is still underrepresented in rehoming statistics.
“The Simpsons have an unmatched cultural footprint, and having Santa’s Little Helper, the world’s most famous greyhound champion New Zealand greyhounds, gives us a unique platform to shift perceptions at scale,” Special’s chief creative officer Lisa Fedyszyn said.
“This campaign keeps the spotlight on these beautiful dogs highlighting their best traits and showing New Zealand why they are the perfect pet, at the perfect time, the Christmas Holiday season. We could not be more grateful to have the help and collaboration from the generous Simpson’s team,” Fedyszyn added.
“Having Santa’s Little Helper champion our dogs is nothing short of extraordinary, it shows how important and urgent this mission is. Greyhounds are gentle, low maintenance companions who give back tenfold the love they receive, and right now thousands urgently need homes,” GAP’s national manager GAP Lisa Philp said.
“Santa’s Little Helper has always shown that greyhounds are the perfect family pet. This Christmas, we’re asking Kiwi to open their hearts and homes, and consider adopting one of these affectionate and loyal animals,” Philp added.
The campaign was brought to life by Special, and media partner Together, with support from Go Media, JCDecaux, Outdoor Media Network, and NZME, and technical support from Flux.
With families spending more time at home over the summer break, the ad positions Christmas as the ideal time to welcome a new dog and settle it into the family.
GAP typically rehomes hundreds of greyhounds each year, but with racing now phasing out, rehoming numbers are expected to multiply rapidly.
Credits:
Client: Greyhounds As Pets
Lisa Philp: Manager
Daniel Bohan: Public Relations Coordinator
Agency: Special
Media: Together
Technical Support: Flux
