MikeWorldWide Wins Two 2025 Telly Awards for Autotrader “Pet Calm ASMR” Campaign

New York, NY – June 4, 2025 – MikeWorldWide (MWW), the nation’s leading independent public relations firm, has earned two 2025 Telly Awards in the Online Commercials category for its work with Autotrader, a Cox Automotive brand. The innovative “Pet Calm ASMR” campaign was recognized in both the General – Pets & Animals and General – Public Service/PSA categories, highlighting MWW’s ability to turn insights into culturally relevant brand storytelling, earning a silver and bronze award. 

Developed to align with National Dog Day, when Autotrader has historically highlighted tips and recommendations for traveling with dogs, the campaign addressed a common pain point for pet parents: the stress of managing their dog’s anxiety during car rides. The campaign introduced an ASMR-inspired (autonomous sensory meridian response) playlist aimed at relaxing dogs and helping everyone enjoy their time on the road. Available on Autotrader’s Spotify profile, the tracks were created to soothe pets during car rides, with each soundscape composed using live field recordings and fine-tuned to natural frequencies based on expert advice. The result was a calming, immersive audio experience for both pets and their owners designed to transport them to some of their favorite memories like long walks on the beach, snowy holiday mornings, or warm naps by the fireplace. In addition to developing the tracks, MWW directed and produced video content for social channels and engaged celebrity talent to promote the playlist, creating earned coverage and conversation.  

This work exemplifies MWW’s integrated approach, uniting talent, and expertise from across the agency’s consumer, digital, creative, research and insights teams. By aligning cross-discipline capabilities around a single focused idea, MWW delivered a campaign that broke through the noise, positioning Autotrader as a resource for pet owners and created an emotional connection to the brand.  

“These recognitions are proof that when you bring together deep audience understanding, emotional intelligence, and different practice areas, you don’t just tell stories – you create brand moments that matter,” said Michael Kempner, Founder & CEO of MikeWorldWide.   

With over 13,000 entries this year, the Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens. MWW’s recognition underscores its commitment to work that moves people and delivers measurable impact. 

More details on the campaign can be found here for General – Pets & Animals and here for General – Public Service/PSA categories.