Whiskas facts for kids
Logo for the brand
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| Industry | Cat food |
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| Founded | 1936 (as Kal Kan) McLean, Virginia, United States |
| Parent | Mars Inc. |
Whiskas is a popular brand of cat food that is sold all over the world. It belongs to an American company called Mars Inc.. You can find Whiskas in different forms, like small meaty pieces in sauce or jelly, packaged in tins or pouches. They also make small crunchy biscuits and milk for cats. Whiskas packaging is easy to spot because it's usually a bright purple color. Their logo shows a simple picture of a cat's head.
Contents
The Story of Whiskas
How Whiskas Started
Whiskas first began making pet food in 1936. Back then, it was known as Kal Kan. The company started near Los Angeles, California, and slowly grew its business across the United States.
In 1958, Kal Kan started selling its products in the United Kingdom under the name Whiskas. This brand name then became popular throughout Europe.
Joining the Mars Family
In 1968, a big company called Mars Inc. bought Kal Kan. This made Kal Kan a part of Mars's pet food division, which was later named Pedigree Petfoods.
In 1989, Kal Kan in the U.S. officially changed its name to Whiskas. This change helped make Whiskas a single, well-known brand around the world. It also made it easier to run the same advertising campaigns everywhere. Before 1989, Kal Kan's dry cat food was sold as the Crave brand. Even though many people in the U.S. knew Kal Kan, "Whiskas" sounded more like a cat's name and was more appealing to customers.
Today, Whiskas food for cats in the United States is made in McLean, Virginia, by Pedigree Petfoods.
Whiskas Advertising and Slogans
Famous Slogans
Whiskas is well-known for its clever advertising. In the United Kingdom, a very famous slogan was "8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas." This slogan later changed to "eight out of 10 owners said their cat prefers it." After some discussion, it was updated to "eight out of 10 owners who expressed a preference said their cat prefers it." The British TV show 8 Out of 10 Cats even got its name from this famous slogan!
Other companies have also used similar phrases in their ads. For example, in the 1980s, Red Stripe Lager used "9 out of 10 cats prefer it," playing on the word "cat" meaning a trendy person.
Unique Promotions
In 1999, something very unusual happened in Australia. An Australian rules footballer named Garry Hocking legally changed his name to "Whiskas." This was part of a special promotion with the Geelong Football Club and the Whiskas company. It was the first time such a publicity stunt had ever been done.
On June 3, 1999, Whiskas aired what they called "the very first commercial for cats" on American television. This ad had first been shown in Britain in January of that year. The commercial featured bright colors, fish, and underwater scenes. It was designed to get cats' attention.
Whiskas Slogans Around the World
Whiskas uses different slogans in various countries, but many of them share a similar idea. In Hungary, the slogan means "Cats would buy Whiskas (if they could)." You can find similar slogans in many other countries, including Serbia, Germany, France, Russia, and Poland.
For example, in Sweden, their slogan means "Whiskas – If the cat itself gets to choose." In Russia, the slogan means "Your kitty would buy Whiskas," which rhymes in Russian. In Italian-speaking countries, the slogan "cats would buy Whiskas" has been used for a long time.
In 2009, Whiskas gave away feeding dishes to the first 1,000 people who signed up for their menu planner.
See also
In Spanish: Whiskas para niños
