ORIJEN Debuts FRESHPREY Fresh Pet Food With 12,000-Foot Mountain Stunt

A dog food launch rarely starts at 12,000 feet.

ORIJEN took coolers into Colorado’s Red Mountains for what it calls the “World’s Most Extreme Unboxing.”

The brand partnered with influencer adventurers Wander With Willow, who brought their dogs, Gryffin and Luke, to the summit for the first taste of FRESHPREY, its first fresh pet food line.

Wander With Willow has built a large following around outdoor adventures with their wolf-dog companions.

They have more than 700,000 followers on Instagram, with content that highlights the bond between dogs and their owners.

Most of their posts follow the dogs across alpine trails, forests, and long-distance road trips.

This places ORIJEN’s mountain setting directly inside the kind of outdoor life their audience already follows.

The footage of Wander With Willow's on-foot expedition is slated for a cross-platform rollout across video, social media, and out-of-home placements.

"From the start, we didn’t want this to feel like a typical product drop, FRESHPREY represents a significant evolution for the brand, and we wanted to show up in a way that signals that shift.

FRESHPREY is rooted in the idea of fueling dogs for real-world adventure, so we built a campaign that brought that idea to life in an extreme way," ORIJEN Global VP Mark Fannin told DesignRush.

Distribution begins exclusively at Petco this month, then expands to Chewy and other pet specialty retailers nationwide in April.

The Food, the Format, the Retail Plan

The one-minute hero film showcases the extreme unboxing event for ORIJEN FRESHPREY dog food.

Instead of sending an unboxing kit to an influencer, the brand sends Wander With Willow and her dogs, Gryffin and Luke, to the kit.

And yes, the kit is waiting at a 12,000-foot summit in Colorado’s Red Mountains.

After trekking through snow and wind, they finally reach a tent marked with ORIJEN’s flag at the top and give the dogs their first taste of FRESHPREY.

The spot closes with the brand’s “Go Beyond” tagline.

FRESHPREY launches in three flavors: Beef, Pork & Lamb, Turkey, Salmon & Pork, and Chicken & Duck.

ORIJEN says that the recipes follow its WholePrey philosophy, using animal ingredients like meat, organs, and bone as core components.

The brand also assures the meals are cooked using a sous vide process, which slowly heats vacuum-sealed ingredients at controlled temperatures to preserve nutrients and flavor.

The fresh dog food will be available in 16-ounce packs and seven-count boxes.

The campaign also includes a “Fuel Your Next Adventure” sweepstakes where five winners will receive an ORIJEN cooler, 10 packs of FRESHPREY, and a $100 Petco gift card.

The launch arrives as pet owners upgrade what goes into their dogs’ bowls.

Yahoo Finance reported that Future Market Insights estimates the pet food industry will grow from $132.4 billion in 2025 to $247.7 billion by 2035, and consumer behavior reflects this.

The American Pet Products Association reports that 41% of dog owners purchased premium pet food in 2024.

This figure is up five points from the previous year, as purchases of basic food declined.

Specialized feeding habits are also growing, with mixers and toppers purchased by 16% of dog owners, a 129% increase since 2018.

ORIJEN’s FRESHPREY product launch lands squarely in this shift toward premium, nutrition-focused pet diets.

Brands are moving quickly to secure space in the fast-expanding fresh and premium pet food segment before the category becomes more crowded.

A Product Reveal in the Mountains

The extreme unboxing introduces the product, captures cinematic footage, and creates the visuals that will anchor the launch across different channels.

Here are three practical insights that marketers can borrow:

• Let product proof carry the story. Clear claims land harder when the product details stay specific and visible.
• Use influencers who already live the lifestyle. Outdoor, pet-first content reads cleaner when it comes from people who do it without a script.
• Plan distribution like a media schedule. An exclusive window creates a clean first chapter, and the wider retail push gives the campaign a second wave.

These decisions give the launch a longer runway, allowing the new line to build recognition in stages instead of peaking all at once.

This pacing reinforces FRESHPREY’s premium, health-focused identity as it returns the attention to its nutrition claims, ingredient quality, and the promise of healthy, active dogs.

Our Take: Can Adventure Sell Fresh Dog Food?

We think it can, especially when the creative matches the product.

Fresh pet food already asks consumers to care more.

It costs more, it raises expectations, and it puts ingredient choices under a brighter light.

ORIJEN’s mountain climb makes this effort visible in a way a studio shoot cannot.

The brand also picked the right kind of creator, so the footage looks similar to an exciting documentary.

Fresh dog food brands are competing on belief and consumer behavior.

For instance, Ollie’s new “Feed the Obsession” platform used data-backed storytelling to reflect how people build their lives around their pets.

Companies exploring similar creator-led storytelling can review these top influencer marketing agencies listed in our directory to support campaign development and partnerships.