Moonpig Puppyfest

Puppies. Puns. Portaloos. What do they have in common? Well, we had them all down in Farringdon to help us celebrate this year’s International Day of Happiness with our very first Moonpig #PuppyFest!

We take happiness very seriously, so we asked you guys and gals what makes you happiest (besides a Moonpig card) and the answers were pretty clear – dogs, Olly Murs, festivals, and reality TV. So, we did what any professional, hard-working folk would do. We got puppies.

Like, a lot of puppies. Some said it was impawsible, that we had bitten off more than we could chew, we were barking up the wrong tree, but we say no task is too ruff when it comes to making the world a more pawsitive place. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you about the puns…)

We set about booking the hottest pupstars in the globe, but we have to admit it wasn’t always easy - the rumours about celebs and their crazy demands are true. On demand back scratches, the latest in squeaky toy technology, and 24/7 belly rubs were just some of the conditions these pups had in their contract, but we’re a determined lot. We searched down the backs of the sofas, shook all the change from our Moonpiggy bank and when even that wasn’t enough, gave them our best puppy dog eyes… all to make sure this was the biggest and best #PuppyFest it could be.

The puparazzi were swarming as we pitched the teepees, plugged in the subwoofers, and pulled on our best wellies – soon all that was missing was the talent. People from across the world tuned in, and all eyes were glued to the screen as the countdown began…

Punctual as a postie with a Moonpig parcel, the #PuppyFest began (try saying that 3 times fast). Janet Jack Russell, Howlzier, Two Dog Cinema Club, and Dog Power opened the Festival with a bang (and a few barks). We struggled to contain ourselves as Two Dog Cinema Club decided to take a mid-set nap on our dedicated Moonpigger’s lap, rendering her utterly powerless in the face of overwhelming cuteness (it’s a tough job we have, it really is). 

Then, just when we thought it was safe to stop OMGing, The Beagles hit the stage and it seemed like there weren’t enough chew toys in the world to contain them. Soon we had reports of animals across the country tuning in to what was quickly becoming the hottest pet event of the year. There were howls of joy as dogs everywhere joined in with some of their favourite hits, while a few less than impressed cats prowled Twitter (You can’t win ‘em all).

It surprised no-one to see that love for Olly Murs stretches not only across the globe, but across species – we had to save his picture from being licked to pieces after more than one of our pupstars proved to be fully paid up members of the #MursArmy. The research was clear, that smile really does set all hearts racing and all tails wagging.

There was a brief paws as our pups made use of our custom portaloos, but we got right back into the action with Miley Cyruff crashing in like the world’s fluffiest wrecking ball, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Now, with this level of talent there’s always bound to be some tension and sure enough, there was a brief tug of war between LL Drool J and the Woof Tang Clan. However, we all breathed a sigh of relief as they managed to work through their creative differences and united over a common love of our Moonpigger’s shoelaces.

The hits just kept coming as Good Boy George proved why he’s a household name by chewing up the stage while Mariah Hairy howled the high notes. Viewers everywhere abandoned work to frantically Google where they could adopt the nearest Maltese Terrier or Cockapoo (we had resist sneaking them home ourselves…)

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and as Stevie Wondog closed the show with a soulful rendition of “I Just Called to Say I Ruff You” and we were left with tears in our eyes and puppy cards in the post.

We’re not going to lie to you, there was some whining as we said goodbye to our furry friends, but knowing we got to bring some four-legged joy into the world made going back to our puppy-less desks a little easier. And hey, you heard it here first – we’re in talks about a follow-up fest, so keep your ears (and noses) to the ground…