Pablo the Drug Mule Dog

It’s the best use of dog-related black humor in advertising we’ve seen in a while.  Pablo the dead drug mule dog is back.  Pablo stars in a series of anti-cocaine ads for FRANK, the United Kingdom’s national anti-drug campaign.  

In the original ads (introduced in 2008), we’re introduced to Pablo as he lies on the floor in a cellar with a huge gash in his chest.  While a dealer removes bags of cocaine from his chest the dog (whose voice is provided by comedian David Mitchell) deadpans “Ever woke up with a huge gash in your stomach?  I’ve had better mornings“.

In the original ads Pablo is reanimated as an eviscerated, telepathic puppet that provides frank discussion on cocaine as he embarks on a quest to find out more about the drug trade that killed him.  The new campaign focuses on the damage cocaine does to the nose and heart of drug users.

Pablo’s story isn’t pure fiction.  Unfortunately it was scary easy to find stories of dogs and puppies have been used as drug mules by a quick search of the googles.