There are some marketing campaigns that make you stop scrolling, have a little chuckle and think, “That’s clever.” Whiskas’ latest campaign is one of them.

The brand is on a mission to persuade Channel 4 to update the name of its iconic show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, because, according to Whiskas’ latest research, the feline stats have changed.

9 out of 10 cats now love WHISKAS

And if you’re going to make a bold claim like that, why not use it to rewrite a little bit of TV history?

Whiskas has launched a playful campaign calling on Channel 4 to change the show's name to 9 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, complete with a petition encouraging cat lovers to add their “paw” to the campaign.

From a famous claim to a cultural reference

What makes the campaign particularly smart is that it builds on something people already know.

Whiskas explains that Channel 4 originally named 8 Out of 10 Cats after the brand's famous “8 out of 10 cats” claim from the 1970s and 80s. Now, with its latest research showing that 9 out of 10 cats love Whiskas, the brand is turning that piece of advertising history into a contemporary piece of marketing.

It’s nostalgic, topical, playful and, most importantly, incredibly easy to understand.

And there’s a lovely bit of purpose behind the campaign too. Whiskas has committed £10,000 to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, with the donation increasing to £20,000 if the show changes its broadcast title or social media branding to “9 out of 10 Cats” by 11 September 2026.

But does it pass the Frank test?

As a very unofficial member of the Whiskas focus group, our own cat Frank has been putting the claim to the test.

This summer, we attempted to introduce him to another brand.

Frank was… unimpressed.

In fact, “rebelled” is probably the most accurate description.

The alternative food was met with the sort of look that suggested we had fundamentally misunderstood our responsibilities as cat owners. So, despite not having conducted a statistically rigorous NielsenIQ study ourselves, Frank's verdict was very clear - Whiskas wins.

Why this is such a good campaign

From a marketing perspective, there’s plenty to like here.

• It has a simple idea - The entire campaign can be summed up in one sentence; 8 out of 10 cats has become 9 out of 10 cats, so Channel 4 needs to update its show.
• It connects the past with the present - Whiskas isn't inventing a completely new piece of brand territory. It's taking an established claim from its advertising heritage and giving it a modern twist.
• It gets people involved - Rather than simply telling us about the new statistic, Whiskas is asking consumers to take part by signing its “paw-tition” and helping to “rewrite TV history”.
• It has personality - There are puns, cats demanding attention and a tongue-in-cheek battle with a much-loved TV show. It feels like entertainment rather than advertising, exactly the sort of thing that gives a campaign a better chance of being shared.

And, of course, there’s the generosity towards Battersea, which gives the campaign another layer beyond simply promoting cat food.

The “9 out of 10 cats” claim is based on a NielsenIQ study in 2025 involving 300 cat owners, who were asked whether their cats loved the taste.

Will Channel 4 bow to the cats?

That remains to be seen.

But whether Channel 4 actually changes the name or not, Whiskas has already achieved something valuable: it has taken a familiar piece of brand heritage, found a genuinely entertaining way to bring it back into popular culture and created a conversation around it.

And that, in my book, is the difference between simply having a statistic and knowing what to do with it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Frank is demanding dinner.

And judging by his reaction when we tried to give him something other than Whiskas, I know exactly what he's voting for.

9 out of 10 cats. Frank included. 🐾