Cats: The Internet’s Original Influencers, Since Long Before the Internet
As listeners of our podcast well know, we’re suckers for a good ad. And in Elliot’s opinion, nothing makes an ad better than throwing in a cat. Why? Because cats don’t care if you buy the thing. Which, of course, makes you want to buy the thing.
Cats have been running the advertising game since before most humans knew what advertising was. (We’re not too well-versed in hieroglyphics, but we’re pretty sure the pyramids have ads for an early coffee shop or exterminator on their walls.) The enigmatic expressions, general disdain, and occasional willingness to tolerate us make cats the perfect sales pitch animals. They don’t need to persuade us. They just exist in a state of elegant indifference, and we throw our hard-earned money at whatever it is they’re shilling.
In our episode about cat posters with our friend Paul Hennessey, we took a stroll back to the Belle Époque, when illustrators like Steinlen made cats look so effortlessly cool that they became the face of Parisian nightlife. His Chat Noir poster didn’t just promote a cabaret—it whispered, "This is where the cool kids go." Mee-yowwww! And just like that, cats started selling us the idea that they—and by extension, we—were sophisticated, mysterious, and possibly French. Enchanté!
Fast-forward a few decades, and advertisers were still letting cats do all the heavy lifting. Mid-century brands used them to sell everything from pet food to cars, televisions and expensive whiskey, because nothing says "refined" like a cat giving you the side-eye from a velvet armchair. And in the Mad Men era, they weren’t just peddling cat products—they were shilling luxury cars and insurance. Cats were influencers before influencers were a thing.
And then? The internet. The moment the first dial-up connection screeched to life like a couple of alley cats in heat, the fate of humanity was sealed: we would dedicate our greatest technological advancements to looking at pictures of cats. Social media didn’t just elevate cats—it coronated them. Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub, Maru, Nyan Cat and their countless kin became household names, with brands scrambling to attach themselves to the magic. Why pay millions for a celebrity endorsement when a single cat video could drive more engagement than the Super Bowl?
It’s not just pet brands cashing in on feline fabulousness. And just like the Mad Men era, today tech companies, insurance firms, even fast food chains have all realized that the easiest way to soften their corporate overlord energy is to throw a cat into the mix. And it works. Every. Single. Time.
So why are cats so good at this? Because they don’t care. They can be playful or mysterious, cuddly or absolutely over it. They command attention without trying—something every brand wishes it could do. And more than anything, they make us feel something, whether it’s delight, nostalgia, or the simple, inescapable urge to like and share.
From art nouveau posters to viral TikToks, cats have proven they are the ultimate marketing mainstay. And as long as humans keep buying, cats will keep selling—without lifting a paw. Unless, of course, it’s a beckoning cat.
Got a favorite cat campaign? Tell us about it. Or just drop a cat gif. You won’t hear any howls from us.