What CAVU understands about branding that legacy CPGs still don’t

2025-05-01T15:27:23Z

Native Pet’s new campaign shows how emotional IQ is becoming private equity’s most powerful asset.In a consumer economy where spending is supposedly slowing down, Native Pet’s “Let Dogs Be Dogs” campaign — a joyful montage of dogs being, well, absolute menace…

In a consumer economy where spending is supposedly slowing down, Native Pet’s ‘Let Dogs Be Dogs’ campaign – a joyful montage of dogs being, well, absolute menaces – lands as something quietly radical. It doesn’t sell fear. It doesn’t sell facts. It sells feeling. And apparently, that still works.

Backed by Cavu Consumer Partners – the private equity firm behind better-for-you hits like Poppi, Hims & Hers and The Farmer’s Dog – Native Pet is the latest proof that pet wellness isn’t a fad. It’s a feeling. And it’s one that’s sticky enough to withstand inflation, interest rates, and whatever’s left of our collective financial dignity.

From kibble to collagen chews

The supplement market for pets has historically been a weird, clinical corner of the pet aisle – lots of vet-white packaging and vague promises about “joint mobility.” But Native Pet, founded in 2017 and now available in major retailers, wants to turn functional nutrition into something you actually want to buy. The kind of thing that ends up in your daily pantry staple, not just in your dog’s bowl post-surgery.

The campaign, created by Accompany Creative, skips over the science and goes straight for the serotonin. Think user-generated videos of dogs sprinting into lakes, tearing through living rooms, and generally thriving. It’s not about solving a problem. It’s about extending the good stuff. Or as Accompany’s founder Jason Keehn puts it, “We take supplements to feel our best, so why shouldn’t they?”

It’s clever. But it’s also strategic – a reframing of pet supplements as not just health insurance, but an act of everyday care. Because in a crowded category with low consumer awareness, joy is a more powerful conversion tool than jargon.

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The Cavu effect: branding as behavior

Cavu isn’t exactly a household name, but its portfolio probably lives in your fridge. Beyond Native Pet, the firm has backed a who’s who of modern brand darlings: Beyond Meat, Oatly, Vital Proteins, Once Upon a Farm, Bai, Waterloo and Osea.

And here’s the pattern: Cavu doesn’t just find interesting products, it finds cultural levers. Gut health (Poppi). Protein panic (Vital Proteins). Clean beauty (Osea). Parental guilt (Once Upon a Farm). Now they’re applying that same lens to pet ownership – a category where love is irrational, and spending often is too.

What’s emerging is a new kind of private equity playbook – one that prioritizes emotional storytelling over performance marketing, and brand identity as a core driver of value creation. Cavu’s approach signals that identity, values, and even vibe are no longer fringe branding concerns. They’re central to how modern CPG brands grow.

This isn’t just about moving product. It’s about shaping how a generation of consumers relates to wellness, ingredients, and the companies that sell them. From biohacked beverages to pet probiotics, the throughline is clear: emotional resonance equals brand equity. And private equity is paying attention.

The recession that skipped the dog aisle

What makes this particularly interesting is the timing. Consumer confidence is wobbly. Grocery bills are up. But Americans are still spending, especially on pets. According to the Pet Supplements in the US, 10th Edition report by Packaged Facts, US pet supplement sales reached over $2.7bn in 2023, marking a 19% increase from 2022. This growth reflects a nearly 20% compound annual growth rate

That growth is driven by a generational shift. Millennials and Gen Z now make up the majority of pet owners, and they treat their animals like actual children. They want options, not afterthoughts. They want clean ingredients. And they want brands that reflect their values, even if the product is technically chicken-flavored probiotic powder.

‘Let Dogs Be Dogs’ works because it gets this. It doesn’t beg for your attention. It winks at you. It doesn’t guilt you into a purchase. It invites you into a moment of pure, slobbery joy. And in a sea of clinical white labels and claims about efficacy, that can feel refreshing.

Brand-building that actually builds something

There’s a lot of noise in the “purpose-led” brand space. A lot of vague manifestos about disrupting categories and elevating lifestyles. But Native Pet’s campaign does something quietly subversive: it shows instead of tells.

Dogs being dogs. Parents being weird. Supplements as a soft expression of love, not a treatment plan. It’s not a revolution. But it is a reset on how we talk about health, especially when it comes to the four-legged freeloaders who share our couches and our bank accounts.

For Cavu and Accompany Creative, it’s also a reminder that emotional intelligence might just be the sharpest tool in the brand-building kit.

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