“Borrow My Corgi” Service Launches – What The Hell Are They Thinking?

– “Inspired by The Queen’s longstanding love of Corgis and the hugely popular ‘BorrowMyDoggy’ trend, Three UK is launching a new canine experience this week to mark the return of The Crown on Netflix. ‘Borrow My Corgi’ gives fans a truly immersive way to enjoy the show – by binge-watching it in the company of their very own regal four-legged companion.” –

Yes. That’s the opening line in the press release.

Dogs as commodities. Dogs as marketing components to promote TV shows. Dogs as the ultimate in fashion accessories.

It goes on…

“..Launching this Friday (8th December) to coincide with the launch of season two of The Crown on Netflix, Three is inviting super-fans to ‘Borrow My Corgi’ to apply to spend time with one of the specially-selected pooches during the weekend and enrich their viewing experience of the new series.

The lucky winners can then expect to have their four-legged friend chaperoned to their front-door by one of the ‘BMC Royal Butlers’. They will then be free to enjoy the majestic company of the pooch while bingeing on the new season of The Crown – no matter whether it’s at home, while going for a walk, or on the way to work.

‘Borrow My Corgi’ celebrates Three’s Go Binge service, which launched earlier in the year and allows customers to stream freely from selected services, including Netflix, without it coming out of their monthly data allowance.

Go Binge arrived in the wake of comprehensive research from Three into the bingeing habits of the nation, which found that an alarming two-thirds (67%) of Brits admit to having devoured an entire TV series in a single-sitting, with one in five (21%) saying that bingeing is now the only way to watch our favourite shows*.

Shadi Halliwell, Chief Marketing Officer at Three, said: “Along with the rest of the nation, we have been swept up in The Crown mania. ‘Borrow My Corgi’ is a fully-immersive experience, complete with the perfect canine companion, to binge-watch the next phase in this historical saga in majestic style. It is the ultimate way to stream The Crown – whether at home, in the park or on the move.”

Three’s ‘Borrow My Corgi’ experience will run from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th December 2017, across London. People wishing to spend time with one of the Corgis can do so by emailing…” (yeah, we’re not going to include the email address here).

Why on earth do companies never learn?

Using dogs as accessories to promote toilet roll or paint, cars, beer – yes, we get that. But borrowing dogs just to promote a TV programme? Real dogs? Having dogs delivered to your house just as a PR exercise for a TV show.

Nah.

Nope.

What do you reckon?