Whiskas (formerly known as Kal Kan) is a brand of
cat food sold internationally. It is owned by the American company
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021.
Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest priva ...
. It is available either as small meaty pieces in sauce, gravy or jelly packaged in tins, foil trays or pouches, as well as in the form of small biscuits sold in cartons or pouches and milk sold in small bottles. Its packaging has a recognisable purple color and a stylized silhouette of a cat's head.
History
Whiskas, originally known as Kal Kan, started manufacturing pet foods in 1936 from its headquarters near
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It eventually grew its operations across the United States. In 1958, it entered the UK market under the Whiskas brand,
which was later expanded throughout Europe.
The company was bought by
Mars Inc.
Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021.
Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest priv ...
in 1968, and became a subsidiary of
Petfoods Ltd (later re‐named Pedigree Petfoods).
In 1989, Kal Kan changed its name in the U.S. to Whiskas, to bring it under a single international brand (in line with their European operations) and to help unify advertising campaigns globally. Prior to 1989, Kal Kan's
dry cat food had been sold under the Crave brand.
Although Kal Kan had more
brand equity
Brand equity, in marketing, is the worth of a brand in and of itself – i.e., the social value of a well-known brand name. The owner of a well-known brand name can generate more revenue simply from brand recognition, as consumers perceive the prod ...
in the U.S., "Whiskas" was also found to be perceived by consumers a more likeable and "feline-sounding" name.
In the United States, Whiskas is made in
McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxim ...
by
Pedigree Petfoods
Pedigree Petfoods is a subsidiary of the American group Mars, Incorporated specializing in pet food, with factories in England at Melton Mowbray and Birstall, Leeds; and offices at McLean, Virginia.
History
Manchester
In 1934, Mars Limited, a ...
.
Marketing
In the U.K., a well-known advertising slogan for Whiskas was "eight out of 10 owners said their cat prefers it".
After a complaint to the
Advertising Standards Authority, this was changed to "eight out of 10 owners who expressed a preference said their cat prefers it". The British panel show ''
8 Out of 10 Cats
''8 Out of 10 Cats'' is a British comedy panel show broadcast on Channel 4 and its sister networks, airing since 3 June 2005. The show is hosted by Jimmy Carr; the current team captains are Rob Beckett and Katherine Ryan.
The show is based on ...
'' takes its name from the slogan. The slogan has been much imitated – in the 1980s,
Red Stripe Lager was advertised with the slogan "9 out of 10 cats prefer it", a play on "cat" meaning a trendy person. Similarly, a 1987 TV advertisement for
Pretty Polly Pretty Polly may refer to:
* "Pretty Polly" (ballad)
* ''Pretty Polly'' (film)
* ''Pretty Polly'' (opera)
* Pretty Polly (horse)
Pretty Polly (March 1901 – 17 August 1931) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and bro ...
in which a nylon stocking was used to replace the fan belt in a
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
car used the slogan "So smooth, 9 out of 10 cats prefer them"; "cat" this time is a reference to the make of car featured.
In 1999, Australian rules footballer
Garry Hocking
Garry Andrew Hocking (born 8 October 1968) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Tough and skilled in equal measure, Hocking was an integral part of Geelong's ...
changed his name by deed poll to "Whiskas" as part of the Geelong Football Club promotion with the company. It was the first such publicity stunt of its kind.
On June 3, 1999, Whiskas singles aired the very first "commercial for cats" on American TV. The
VHS release featured a small segment on how the advert worked, and showed several cats' reactions. The advert itself was a collection of clips with contrasting colours, fish and video captured from underwater. The end of the video (before fading out and then running again) claimed that "In our tests, 8 out of 10 preferred it".
In Hungary, the Whiskas advertising slogan is "", which means "Cats would buy Whiskas (if they could)". Slogans with the same meaning are used in Serbia, Germany, Austria, Finland, Estonia, France, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia, Romania, Poland and Slovenia.
In Denmark, there once was an advertising slogan "", which means "Cats would choose Whiskas." In Sweden, a similar slogan is used: "", which means "Whiskas – If the cat itself gets to choose."
In Russia, the slogan was "", which means "Your kitty would buy Whiskas", where the phrase is rhymed, since one of the words for "kitty" and "Whiskas" rhyme in Russian.
In Italian speaking countries the slogan ''i gatti comprerebbero Whiskas'' - "cats would buy Whiskas" has long been in use.
In Autumn of 2009, Whiskas handed out feeding dishes to the earliest 1000 registrations to their menu planner.
["Die ersten 1000 Anmeldungen erhalten einen Whiskas Futtertopf gratis dazu!" ]
@freakingchild, 7:47 PM · Sep 4, 2009
/ref>
References
External links
Whiskas USA
Whiskas Malaysia
Whiskas Canada
Whiskas Australia
{{Mars global brands
Cat food brands
Mars brands