The advert titled 'Dairy is Scary' was shown in cinemas across the UK and seen by more than 3.5 million people. It received just 25 complaints (roughly 0.0025 percent of viewers). One of the complaints came from The Dairy Council of Northern Ireland. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the ad, created by animal rights organization Viva!, was 'irresponsible' and likely to cause “serious and widespread offence.”
POLLY FORMAN: An advert raising awareness of the dairy industry has been banned in the UK over claims it could cause “unjustified distress”… The advert – titled “Dairy is Scary” – depicts a human mother tucking her newborn baby into bed. Moments after she switches off the light, a bogeyman-like figure enters the room and steals the baby, and the mother desperately asks for the baby back. The bogeyman replies: “You can’t keep your baby because we want your milk.” The scene then shifts, showing real-life footage from a dairy farm where a calf is separated from their mother before being killed. This is standard practice in the dairy industry, as calves are taken away so that humans can take the milk intended for them…
The advert was shown in cinemas across the UK and was seen by more than 3.5 million people. It received just 25 complaints – roughly 0.0025 percent of viewers. One of the complaints came from The Dairy Council of Northern Ireland… The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the ad, created by animal rights organization Viva!, was “irresponsible” and likely to cause “serious and widespread offence.” According to Viva!, this decision contradicted the ASA’s own investigations team, whose draft advice reportedly found no case to answer…
“We strongly reject the ASA’s decision,” said Viva! founder Juliet Gellatley. “It is an entirely subjective judgement and ignores both its own investigators and the experts in cinema advertising”… Viva! said it worked closely with the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA) – the UK’s regulatory body for cinema advertising – to produce the ad, and it was cleared for screenings of movies rated 15 and above. The advert was primarily shown before horror and sci-fi films.
The ASA acknowledged that viewers would understand that the advert aimed to raise awareness of animal welfare, but went on to claim that it would likely be seen as insensitive to people who have experienced child loss and fertility issues… In response, Gellatley acknowledged that the ad tackled a “deeply sensitive topic,” but emphasized that care had been taken to ensure the scene was symbolic and “a fantasy rather than literal.” “The aim was to shine a light on animal suffering in a way that connects emotionally – not to trivialise human grief,” she continued. SOURCE…
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