Dog Days

Calgary has never been short on amazing restaurants and food festivals but we’ve always felt the humble hot dog has been under celebrated. So, we decided to do something about it.

Dog Days started as one of those “wouldn’t it be fun if…” ideas tossed around at brainstorms and happy hours but then we made it happen. We turned a fun idea into a city-wide celebration that brought Calgary restaurants together for two weeks of creative hot dog features, all while giving back to a local cause. Fifty-four vendors participated in the inaugural festival, with $1 from every Dog Days hot dog sold donated to the Pet Access League Society (PALS). 

We developed the festival concept and brand, recruited restaurants, built the digital experience and generated buzz across the city. The result? A total reach of more than 15 million, 150 media hits, an AMP Radio sponsorship and $14,320 raised for PALS, all in the festival’s first year.

HOW WE DO IT:

Marketing Strategy
Social Media & Digital 
Creative Design
Event Marketing & Activations 
Public Relations

A large crowd of people gathered at an outdoor event with colorful umbrellas, some seated at picnic tables and others walking around, under a partly cloudy sky.
Part of a promotional poster for the Doo Dah Festival with an orange background and polka dots, featuring a cartoon hot dog with mustard. The hot dog has a speech bubble with green text that says "Est. 2026".
Brochure for Dog Days Festival with information on marketing ideas, donations, and event details, featuring images of dogs.
Social media post advertising a dog days kickoff party at Cold Garden from 11 am to 3 pm on May 23, featuring hot dogs, cold beer, and crushable Cold Garden pints, with a picture of a black dog at a picnic table surrounded by drinks.
A banner for the Dog Days Festival with orange and red colors, displaying the festival's name and slogans, set up under a wooden pergola with string lights. People are sitting on chairs in the background, enjoying the event.
A smartphone displaying a social media post promoting a charity event called Dog Days Festival, featuring hot dogs for a good cause, with a graphic of a dachshund-shaped hot dog and text that says 'Hot Dogs for a Good Cause!'
Sign for Dog Days Festival offering hot dogs and supporting PALS, Pet Access League Society, with event dates from May 23 to June 6, and website dogdaysyyc.com.