Purina Animal Nutrition has a new spokesperson. Unlike trained PR pros, Elm doesn’t say much, but as he preps for his close up, it’s clear this young athlete is in optimal health and peak physical condition. His entourage of handlers and trainers will tell you how as a third-generation athlete, this is in his blood. Elm gets up early, trains hard and eats right, starting every day with a diet of Purina^® feed. Did we mention Elm’s a horse?

For years, Purina’s story has focused on its leading research including more than 130 patents and many animal nutrition breakthroughs. But now, we’re turning the story over to Elm and a variety of other animals and letting them do the talking. Because when there is greatness on the inside, it shows on the outside.

Please step behind the scenes of our latest photoshoot for the campaign, “Animals speak louder than words,” and meet the new Purina spokesanimals. 

Setting the stage 

Before shooting began, there was a simple realization. For everyone connected to Purina—the feed dealers, farm and fleet retailers, the employees, the animal owners—greatness is the animal. And through proper nutrition, Purina’s role is to unlock the potential every animal has to be great.

So, the Purina team set out to find some special specimens, holding a literal and figurative cattle call in Texas. Our sales team worked hand-in-hand with our team of Ph.D. nutritionists to find animals that screamed “good health” at just a glance. Most importantly, all potential spokesanimals had to eat Purina^® feed.

On set

By early March, the best-of-the-best animals had been selected. Purina feeds a mix of lifestyle and livestock animals, which lead to a diverse cast including an Angus heifer, a Holstein calf, two horses, a chicken and even a show pig. 

Each animal, along with its respective owner, was invited to come to Dallas. The scene was straight out of any celebrity photoshoot, what with the soundstage, the bright lights and a whole lot of action. On hand were a variety of handlers, for animals and equipment alike. Each animal was scheduled to get about an hour of set time to ensure the team could capture the perfect shot. 

Day one started at 9:30 a.m. with the Angus heifer by the name of BCD Envious Blackbird and owned by Brayden DeBorde of Lazy D Farm in Bardwell, Texas. Brayden’s family is in the cattle business and is proud to raise and show top-of-the-line heifer and steer prospects. After lunch a not-so-little show pig owned by Devin Carr of Prosper, Texas, hit the set. The day wrapped up with an American Quarter Horse named WithoutYouAlBeBlue, or Baretta around the barn. This stunning gray mare with a big heart and an impressive show record is owned by Kimberly Lloyd Wright. 

Day two is when Elm, the young athlete in training, took to the set. The result of a long line of home-grown champions at Show Stop Farm in Nocona, Texas, Elm is owned by Courtney Brockmueller of Whitesboro, Texas.

“Elm is an American Quarter Horse. His registered name is Give Me the Goods, and my mother, Nancy Sue Ryan, is his breeder. Elm was actually a Christmas gift to me and my husband from my mother and grandmother! We breed and show American Quarter Horses,” Courtney says. “Purina^® feed has been a really important part of our breeding program. Positive results we see are just that bloom—a nice soft hair coat with dapples and that shine in their eye. A well-fed horse is a picture that you can’t fake.”

Clementine the 8-week-old Holstein calf brought another young face to the campaign. Owned by Van Ruiten Dairy in Dublin, Texas, this family-owned operation milks about 400 cows. Wrapping up the shoot, Jamie Watters brought in Diva, a Silver Laced Orpington hen. Fond of sitting in laps, Diva is Jamie’s kindest hen. She’s also a hard bird to miss with her striking black lacing. Known as the “Fancy Chicken Lady,” Jamie raises a variety of rare poultry breeds on her family farm in Chandler, Texas.

The finished campaign features striking animal portraits, framed in Purina-red quotes, are paired with a simple statement, “Animals speak louder than words. If there is greatness on the inside, it shows on the outside.” 

We might be biased, but we think these results also speak for themselves.