Whiskas Dares Channel 4 to Rename '8 Out of 10 Cats' to '9 Out of 10 Cats'
Updated: 3 days ago
Whiskas has launched a cheeky earned-media stunt urging Channel 4 to rename '8 Out of 10 Cats' to '9 Out of 10 Cats', backed by a Battersea donation of up to £20,000.
What Whiskas launched
Whiskas has launched a playful earned-media stunt publicly urging Channel 4 to rename its comedy panel show '8 Out of 10 Cats', arguing that updated taste tests show nine in ten cats now prefer its new recipe. The Mars-owned brand, working with Weber Shandwick, pledged £10,000 to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home — doubling to £20,000 if Channel 4 accepts.
The activity spans out-of-home, a digital ad-van outside Channel 4's London HQ, full-page open letters, social, and three rescue cats fronting it named Rob Beckcat, Sarah Meowlican and Joe Whiskason.
Why it matters
The show's 2005 title was itself inspired by an old Whiskas "8 out of 10 cats prefer it" tagline — so the brand is reclaiming a piece of language it arguably originated. That is what makes the stunt more than a gag: it is rooted in a genuine brand truth, which is what separates earned-media stunts that land from ones that feel like try-hard noise.
Our read: this is a textbook low-cost, high-attention play. A donation, an ad-van and some open letters cost a fraction of a TV campaign but generate press, social chatter and a natural hook for Channel 4 to respond to. The charity angle also insures the stunt against looking purely opportunistic.
What businesses should do
If you want earned attention, find the cultural artefact you have a legitimate claim to. Whiskas is not inventing a connection; it is reactivating one. A stunt built on a real brand truth travels; a random provocation does not.
And give the other side a reason to play along. By attaching a charity donation that grows if Channel 4 agrees, Whiskas turns a one-way stunt into an invitation. The best earned-media ideas hand your target a role, not just a headline.
Quick FAQ
What is Whiskas asking Channel 4 to do?
To rename '8 Out of 10 Cats' to '9 Out of 10 Cats', citing taste tests it says show nine in ten cats prefer its new recipe.
How much is Whiskas donating?
£10,000 to Battersea, rising to £20,000 if Channel 4 agrees to the rename.
Why does the '8 out of 10 cats' phrase matter?
The show's 2005 title was inspired by a historic Whiskas tagline, so the brand has a genuine claim to the line.
The best earned-media stunts aren't random provocations — they're rooted in a truth the brand can actually claim. Whiskas practically owns 'eight out of ten cats', so reclaiming it is legitimate, cheap and hard to ignore. Attaching a growing charity donation is the masterstroke. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
A stunt built on a genuine brand truth travels far further than a random provocation — and giving your target a role turns a gag into a conversation.
What piece of culture does your brand have a real claim to that you could reactivate?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Creative Salon, Chortle, Mars UK.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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