Its that time of year again, Christmas is almost here! Companies everywhere have been gearing up for the holiday season and this year Home Depot is doing something a little different. They have adopted a feline mascot named Richard the Cat . This furry friend will be documenting holiday disasters as his owners are simply “how-to” helpless. Richard is not here to save the day, but to put to rest that felines are indeed smarter than humans.

Home Depot’s  PR and marketing team conjured up this idea after doing some social media monitoring and realized that one of the biggest things followed in the social space are cats, which did not take me by surprise…I mean lets face it cats are cute! They wanted their holiday campaign to stand out, especially in the social space, personally it got me interested. I know you must be thinking what is the relationship between cats and Home Depot? Fact of the matter is there is no relation, thats the point! Its supposed to be light-hearted and fun, give you a chuckle or two and keep you engaged. I mean come on, power tools and home renovation aren’t the most interesting things in the world so I think this campaign will get people engaged in the online conversation and create more positive associations with the brand.

After checking out Richard the Cat’s twitter account, people seem to have really taken a liking to him. Interacting with a cat whose online persona is described as quick-witted and sarcastic has got people excited and they have reciprocated this playful attitude. One concern is that the campaign might alienate canine lovers, however, its been noted that online engagement with cats is twice as much as dogs so this shouldn’t be much of an issue. All in all, whether your a cat lover or a dog lover, Richard the cats antics should put a smile on your face and get you in the mood for the holiday season.