A passion for putting pets first — and for staying ahead of the curve — fuels the ASPCA’s innovative strategies, and kept it energized when Katrina-relief efforts, a rebranding campaign and the overhaul of its development department all converged.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

With a little help from a friend — the high-profile Saatchi & Saatchi group, which proffered pro bono work on the rebranding — and based on four years of donor research, the ASPCA ditched the tried and true and came up with trendy colors and a more tongue-in-cheek, though altogether serious, approach to DM messaging.