BP Lubricant: Leave Chimps Out of Commercials February 4, 2009

Posted by Marta at February 4, 2009 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack

If you're one of the millions of people who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, you likely saw BP Lubricant USA's commercial, "Castrol Oil: Edge Monkeys," which featured multiple chimpanzees. Ugh—way to put a damper on things.

In addition to portraying the animals in a demeaning way, using chimpanzees in advertisements is just plain cruel:

• Great apes used in advertisements are often very young. They are taken from their families and beaten to ensure that they do as the trainer demands.
• Once they are too old and no longer considered "useful," many primates are discarded in hideous roadside zoos or are warehoused in appalling conditions. PETA investigations have revealed that former "celebrity" apes were living in small, filthy cages littered with garbage and feces and were denied basic necessities (like wholesome food and adequate veterinary care).
• Chimps are known for their wide, toothy grins—what most people don't realize, though, is that "smile" is actually a grimace of fear.

Many companies are deceived by the American Humane Association's "no animals were harmed" label. The AHA does not monitor maternal separation, living conditions, or pre-production training sessions, which is where most of the abuse occurs. Click here to read more.

Remember, just because animals used in ads may look like they're fine, it doesn't mean they were always treated well—no one's going to use footage of a terrified animal to try to sell their product, right?

We've already contacted the company to request that it pull the commercial and pledge never to use great apes in advertisements again. They haven't agreed to do so yet, so we want them to hear from you, too.

BP Lubricant should follow in the compassionate footsteps of Sega, Yahoo!, PUMA, Honda, and Subaru (to name a few), by pledging never to use great apes in advertisements again. After all, there are many alternatives to using live animals—such as animatronics, animation, and CGI.

Did you guys see the commercial?



P.S. On a pleasant note, check out a former laboratory chimpanzee seeing snow for the first time. So cute!

Vote for Your Fave Banned Super Bowl Ad! January 27, 2009

Posted by Lara Sanders at January 27, 2009 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 20 ) | TrackBack

Some people watch the Super Bowl for the game, and others watch it for the crazy commercials. This year, I'm watching it for both, because the Steelers (my team) are playing.

One commercial you won't see on February 1st is PETA's new "Veggie Love" ad. This racy commercial was a little too hot for TV if you know what I mean ... thank goodness you can see it here! Check it out.

This isn't the first PETA ad that has been banned from being played during the Super Bowl. Below are my top five favorites.

1. "Sexy Sausage"

2. "Sex Talk"

3. "Milk Gone Wild"

4. "Kentucky Fried Cruelty: The Movie"

5. "Veggie Love"

Comment below to vote for which commercial you like best!


P.S. Go Steelers!