By the late twentieth century, marketing departments knew that many American pet owners had come to consider their pets as part of the family. They designed advertisements and packages to tap into those feelings. Irv Koons' final design for Alpo's new cat food line, for example, made brand ambassador Garfield appear to be seated at a table.
This 1990 Alpo cat food television commercial reinforced the idea; it featured Garfield eating from the same table as his owner.
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