Santa’s little helper fronts new OOH campaign to rehome New Zealand greyhounds

An urgent, nationwide rehoming effort for over 2,000 retired racing greyhounds in New Zealand is leveraging the power of popular culture, starring The Simpsons’ own greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper, in a new integrated campaign led by agency Special. The initiative, for Greyhounds as Pets (GAP), comes ahead of the announced ban on greyhound racing in Aotearoa from August 2026, creating the largest animal rehoming challenge the country has ever faced. 

The campaign’s second phase, focusing heavily on Out-of-Home (OOH) placements, utilizes the globally recognizable character to immediately shift public perception of the breed. By featuring scenes from The Simpsons across 36 years of episodes, the campaign highlights the greyhound’s gentle, loyal, and low-maintenance qualities, which are often overlooked in rehoming statistics. 

The OOH and social media components are strategically rolled out across the country to dispel common misconceptions about greyhounds and accelerate adoption demand, particularly during the Christmas holidays when families spend more time at home. The visibility of Santa’s Little Helper across various outdoor media formats—supported by partners including Go Media, JCDecaux, and Outdoor Media Network—aims to give the rehoming mission an unmatched cultural platform. 

Santa’s Little Helper, famously adopted on Christmas Eve by the Simpson family, serves as the perfect, high-profile champion for the thousands of dogs now awaiting their own forever homes. The use of this beloved cartoon icon provides a unique and powerful way to communicate the urgency of the mission while showcasing the breed’s ideal suitability as a family companion.