Nissan "Knock, Knock, Cats" Campaign Launched to Save Sleeping Felines
Give your hood a knock before your start your car.
Japan’s recent spate of snow and freezing temperatures has forced the nation’s feline inhabitants to seek shelter. Residents find cats hiding under the hoods and the tires of their cars, sometimes after it’s too late.
Japanese carmaker Nissan hopes its new campaign will save those lives.
The company is urging drivers to knock on the hood of their cars before starting to drive, giving any feline visitors time to get out of the way before something goes wrong.
“There are lives that can be saved with a bit of consideration,” is the message on the campaign website.
The cold weather means cats are looking for warmer places to nap.
Tokyo officials say there are as many as 60,00 stray cats in the city, and cats hiding in and around cars is not a new problem. The Japan Automobile Federation launched a similar campaign a few years ago encouraging drivers to knock on the hoods of their cars, but the trend never caught on.
To buck the campaign’s unsuccessful past, Nissan is encouraging drivers to share information about the campaign on social media and to place a bumper sticker of a cat on top of a wheel on their cars. While also good advertising for the company itself, any publicity for the campaign could ensure more people remember to knock, knock on their cars before driving away.
Knock on the hood of your car before starting it in the morning.
It could save a life.
