In today’s digital environment, attention is limited and competition is constant. For brands, the issue is no longer just how to communicate a message, but how to ensure it is seen at all.
This has pushed creative strategy toward content that triggers immediate emotional responses. One increasingly visible approach is the use of pets — particularly cats — in brand communication. What began as a familiar internet trend has evolved into a deliberate response to how social platforms and audiences operate.
Content featuring cats consistently generates higher comments, shares and saves compared to other formats. In practical terms, cats function as an attention hook. They create a pause in the scroll, giving brand messages an opportunity to enter.
However, higher engagement brings a strategic consideration: does attention to the cat translate into attention to the brand?
Strong performance, uneven brand transfer
Data cited by Marketing Gazette, referencing research by NewsWhip and Nichefire, shows that ads featuring cats can increase YouTube views by up to 2,700% compared to average channel performance. On Instagram, around 34% of accounts use cat content to drive engagement, contributing to search spikes of up to 123 million. Google searches for cute cat content have risen by 37%.
These numbers explain why more brands are integrating cats into their creative work.
Rima Sjoekri, senior consultant at Mediasense, describes cats as an emotional shortcut that works across product categories. Social media algorithms reward content that prompts fast, instinctive reactions, and cats consistently deliver those reactions.
Margaretha “Margie” Untoro, head of commercial and marketing at MDA Restaurants, notes that cat content dominates feeds — from memes to influencer-style pet accounts. She observes that audiences often stop scrolling when a cat appears, and sharing behaviour tends to follow.
In Indonesia, this shift is increasingly visible. Cats are not simply decorative elements; they are built into campaign concepts.
Shopee uses its Oyen character in Nego Neko chat content. Gojek features its Meong mascot with the slogan “MAW MAW.” Pop Mie introduced Kucing O’Ranger in its Lapeer Kepepet campaign, inspired by the personal cat of Indofood director Axton Salim.
Yet engagement patterns reveal a nuance. According to Sjoekri, comment sections often focus on the cat rather than the product. In some cases, interest in the product is expressed because of the cat itself.
This indicates that while engagement increases, brand linkage is not always proportional.
Why cats resonate so strongly in Indonesia
The effectiveness of catvertising in Indonesia is influenced by cultural context. In a Muslim-majority society, cats are regarded as clean and religiously acceptable animals. Untoro believes this makes them a relatively safe symbol for mass-market brands, compared to other animals that may create sensitivities. Urban living also reinforces their relevance. In apartment environments and dense cities, cats are a practical pet choice for the urban middle class — a demographic many brands target. Their presence in advertising reflects everyday experience.
Local meme culture has further strengthened its appeal. The chaotic personality of the kucing oyen has become a widely recognised internet archetype. When brands integrate this humour naturally, engagement extends beyond views into conversation.
From cultural icon to commercial asset
Cats have long appeared in cultural history, from ancient religious symbolism to popular art and film. The digital era has accelerated their commercial role.
Sjoekri identifies the emergence of Grumpy Cat in 2012 as a turning point, when a cat character became a global internet figure. Its consistent facial expression made it adaptable across memes that captured shared online emotions.
Memes, she explains, create quick emotional connections and are easy to distribute — characteristics that align with the needs of advertisers competing for attention.
In Indonesia, Bobby Kertanegara, President Prabowo Subianto’s cat, has accumulated close to one million Instagram followers. The scale of the following demonstrates how a cat persona can build an audience comparable to a public figure.
Saturation or a new phase?
Globally, the use of cats in advertising has experienced periods of saturation when campaigns relied only on visual appeal. When multiple brands adopt similar approaches, differentiation becomes harder. Indonesia has not yet reached that stage. Audiences remain participatory, generating memes and discussion around feline characters featured in campaigns.
However, new challenges are emerging with the increased use of AI in content production. Sjoekri cautions against excessive anthropomorphism. Audiences recognise when behaviour feels authentic versus constructed. In AI-generated ads where cats speak or behave like humans, relatability can decline.
Untoro adds that long-term value depends on integration. If cats are used solely to increase engagement metrics, the tactic risks becoming superficial. When developed as mascots or narrative devices aligned with brand values, they have the potential to support sustained storytelling.
The strategic question for brands is straightforward: attention alone is not enough. The effectiveness of catvertising depends on whether engagement strengthens brand association over time. Cats may increase visibility. Sustained brand impact requires more than visibility.
Source: Campaign Indonesia
