Vodafone Wins the First PETA India Glitterbox Award for its Animal-Friendly 'Zoozoo' Ad
Animal Rights Group Commends Company for Using 'Live' Animation Instead of a Live Animal in Its Latest Ad
Tweet-- For leaving the competition in the dust with its "ZooZoo" ad, Vodafone has won the first of PETA's 2009 Glitterbox Awards, which are given to businesses that take advantage of humane alternatives to the use of real animals in their ads.
"ZooZoo" is part of the latest Vodafone ad campaign, which has replaced the company's "Pug" ad campaign. PETA has raised objections in the past to the use of animals (including a parakeet and a dog) in Vodafone's (Hutch) ad campaigns.
Vodafone's (Hutch) first "Pug" ad was bad news for real-life pugs. Many people who saw the ad later purchased pugs, and breeders cranked out as many of the animals as they could. Later, when their appeal wore off, many dogs ended up in animal shelters or were simply abandoned.
Pugs face unique health challenges. Their unnaturally short faces and upturned noses lead to breathing difficulties and make them susceptible to heatstroke. Their compromised respiratory systems make anesthetising them a risk. Most of the females can't even give birth without the help of a veterinarian. Their large, shallow-set eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury and infection. Pugs are also prone to serious brain disease, joint problems and skin and allergy problems.
In response to PETA's objection to the unregulated use of animals in films, the Bombay High Court issued a judgment which required the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) to ask applicants to furnish a no-objection certificate from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) before certifying any film in which animals have been used.
"The latest ZooZoo ads are a refreshing change from the earlier Vodafone (Hutch) ad campaigns", says PETA Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney. "The popularity of this ad campaign proves that there are many creative ways to convey a message without using animals. Animals used in films are often treated as little more than props, and many suffer terribly behind the scenes."