Leading cat food brand Whiskas has launched a new TV advertising campaign called ‘Big Cat Little Cat’.

The campaign, launched at the end of February, reinforces the fact that Whiskas understands what cats need through insights from the parent company's Waltham Centre of Pet Nutrition.

Developed with AMV BBDO, the campaign marks a new focus for the Whiskas brand, and brings to life the idea there is a big cat inside every small one.

The 50-second advert, which aired on ITV1 during the ad break for Coronation Street, showed a leopard exploring a snowy environment at night, which is then revealed to be a neighbourhood garden. The leopard hears a dog bark and runs towards a house’s cat flap. As it enters the house, the leopard transforms into the recognisable silver tabby cat.

Miranda Sambles, UK Marketing Director Mars Petcare, said: “At Whiskas we understand a feline’s natural instincts like no one else and we know that big cats and little cats share a lot of behaviours.

"Our new Big Cat Little Cat campaign brings this insight to life in an engaging way. In understanding the link between the two cat types, our product range gives cats all that they naturally need in one brand.”

Dr. Sandra McCune, Scientific Leader of Human-Animal Interaction at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, added: “For 50 years, the centre has been a leading authority within the field of pet nutrition and care and underpins product development across the Mars Petcare portfolio.

"Many owners will recognise character traits in their own cats that they’d see in big cats, whether that’s scratching posts or hunting at night.”

The 50 second ad will be supported by an additional 30 second ad, online activity and PR.