Monday Mashups: Raise the Woof for Dog-centric Events

Dog-centric events will probably never go out of style. According to BizBash, two recent pop-ups elevated the concept with activities that specifically catered to four-legged companions. Animal website, The Dodo, as well as BuzzFeed in partnership with Petco launched separate, themed, multi-day pop-ups for dogs and their owners in New York this fall, both of which were open to the public.

The Dodo’s Best Dog Day Ever, which opened October 4 and ran through October 27, is an expansion of the inaugural event the brand held last year. The second edition, which is the brand’s largest event to date, was located at 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg and had a Halloween theme. The ticketed pop-up had multiple activities tailored to dogs, including on-theme toy pits, a corn maze for racing, a trick-or-treat-theme snack bar with options for dogs and humans, a costume parade, and a graveyard for busted toys.

Venus Ferrer, senior vice president and head of account management at Group Nine Media, which owns The Dodo, said the brand wanted to expand the Best Dog Day Ever concept after experiencing success with the first edition—a three-hour event in Brookfield Place, which drew more than 1,400 people. This year’s event has been widely marketed throughout the city through efforts like digital subway ads and partnerships with dog influencers, who attended a V.I.P. preview of the event. The brand estimates by the end of the event, as many as 10,000 people will have attended.

The Dodo didn’t initially make it a priority to host a Halloween-theme event, but that it came naturally to the brand after it decided fall was the best season to host the pop-up. The brand also was inspired by owners who dress up their dogs for the holiday. The Dodo also partnered with Dyson and Target to execute sponsored activations at the pop-up. Dyson had a mad scientist-theme lab activation, where dogs could get complimentary makeovers with Dyson grooming products. And Target sponsored a dog costume cam that produced 180-degree GIFs.

One of the cheekier stations was an area for dogs to relieve themselves, complete with red fire hydrant props, green turf, and doggie bags. Green turf was also used in a fenced-in area resembling a lawn, complete with furniture and snacks and drinks for dogs and their owners.

Petco and BuzzFeed hosted its own dog pop-up in September, taking over a vacant space in Manhattan for five days. The pop-up, named Wild & Waggy, aimed to celebrate Petco and its healthy pet products.

The space featured seven dog-friendly stations including a ball pit, a green screen photo op, crafting stations to make dog collars and patches, a step and repeat featuring Petco’s artificial-free nutrition brands, and downward dog yoga, in the most literal sense. The event drew 2,000 people, accepting walk-ins and R.S.V.P.s on a custom landing page.

Kelly Leach, senior vice president at Horizon Media, Petco’s media agency of record, said the brand partnered with BuzzFeed to create the pop-up “based on their scale among pet parents, their shared vision of pushing boundaries while still embracing fun, and ability to create a credible and socially fluid experience.”

Making sure all aspects of both events were safe for dogs was a major factor for organizers. Ferrer noted that The Dodo hired a vet consultant for feedback on what would be good for animals and what wouldn’t; smoke machines, for example, is an idea the brand decided to forego.

Megan Oxford, manager of consumer communications at Petco, said organizers of dog-friendly events should make sure there are water bowls within reach and trash cans out of reach. She also suggested keeping catering intended for humans away from dogs, particularly chocolate, turkey skin, grapes and raisins, caffeinated drinks, and onions that may be dangerous for them.

Both events also had adoption areas for attendees. The Dodo partnered with Project Forever Home to have adoptable pups held in a fenced-in, backyard-theme area. Petco and BuzzFeed had local dogs from Muddy Paws Rescue, Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, and Long Island Bull Dog Rescue.

We're all fur activations like these! Help raise the woof and consider devouring the details of your very own dog-centric event!

Cotton Candy Spider Web Hot Chocolate Donuts

Halloween is officially here! But if you're like us and planning to celebrate all week and weekend long, then you'll surely love this sweet treat recipe by Lauren Conrad. Check it out!

Cotton Candy Spider Web Hot Chocolate Donuts

Ingredients: Makes 8 regular size donuts 

For the donut batter:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 packet hot chocolate mix
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup + 2 tbsp. buttermilk
2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
½ cup sugar

For the glaze and toppings:
¼ cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup marshmallow fluff
3 cup powdered sugar
small plastic black spiders
white cotton candy

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular size donut pan with nonstick spray and set aside until ready to use.

2. To make the batter, whisk the buttermilk, coconut oil, vanilla, egg, and sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, hot chocolate mix, baking soda and salt. With a spatula, combine all ingredients until there are no more white streaks. Try not to over mix the batter.

3. Put your batter into a large piping bag and cut a little part of the bottom off. Pipe the batter into the donut cavities until each are ¾ of the way full. If you don’t have a piping bag, just spoon the batter into the cavities.

4. Bake in your preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. Immediately flip your donut pan upside down and tap it against your work surface until the donuts come out of the pan. Then let your donuts cool and make the glaze...

6. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until there are no more lumps of sugar. Make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap if you’re not using the glaze right away.

7. When the donuts are completely cooled, dip one side into the glaze and flip right side up onto a piece of parchment paper and let the glaze harden a bit.

8. Now for topping your donuts: Simply tear off thin, wispy pieces of your cotton candy and layer them on your donut. You will have to work quickly because as soon as cotton candy touches the glaze (or even your hands), it will begin to “melt.” If you are serving these to guests, I would recommend adding the cotton candy at the very last minute so that it stays fluffy.

9. Last but not least, place one of your small plastic spiders on top of each cotton candy pouf for a spooky touch!

We can't wait to indulge this Halloween! Join us in devouring the details of this sweet treat and celebrating spooky season with these delicious spider web donuts!

Wedding Wednesdays: How to Change Your Middle Name After Marriage

An old tradition is making a comeback based on some recent data. According to HitchSwitch and The Knot, an increasing number of newlyweds are using their original surname (or maiden name) as their middle name postwedding.

There are certainly benefits to using your original or maiden name as your middle name postwedding. Maybe you're marrying later in life, and you've established a professional identity you want to remain associated with. Or maybe, you'd like to keep your original family name close for more sentimental reasons. Whatever the case, legally changing your middle name after marriage can be tricky. The Knot is here to walk you through the process.

How to Change Your Middle Name After Marriage
Wondering how to change your middle name? In some states, you can use your marriage certificate to make your original surname your middle name; in others you can't. It all starts with your marriage license—the document you complete prewedding, submit in order to be legally married, and use to obtain a certificate postwedding. Wolff says, in general, there are three types of marriage licenses:

Category 1
This marriage license asks for just you and your partner's current names. After tying the knot, you can use your certificate to make any name change based on you and your spouse's previous surnames. That includes making your original last name your new middle name.

Category 2
This marriage license asks you to write your desired married names down. If you indicate a middle name change then, you can use your certificate to officially make the switch. If you don't, you'll have to change your middle name through the court system. (Unfortunately, that costs extra time, energy and money, thanks to the paperwork, fees, hearings and even newspaper announcements—yep—that could be required.)

Note that even if you jot down a new name, it won't automatically take effect postwedding. Instead, writing a new name down gives you the option to use it later on. You'll have to take legal steps, like notifying the Social Security Administration, to actually set the change in motion.

Category 3 
This marriage license lets you write down a new surname and only a new surname. You can't use it to change your middle name—for that, you'll have to petition the court.

Because changing your middle name after marriage may get complicated depending on where you live, it's best to investigate your state's laws ASAP (read: well before you tie the knot). When possible, use your marriage certificate to make the swap. If you can't, don't stress—there's always the court route.

Don't sweat the surname process! Take The Knot's advice and devour the details of changing your name after saying 'I Do'.