Verizon Puts Leash on Pit Bull Ad
Monday August 4, 2008
Verizon Wireless is in the doghouse with PETA over a commercial showing two pit bulls chained up in a junkyard. Verizon has now pulled the commercial after PETA members sent more than 7,000 Emails to the wireless company's top execs.
More on on the Pit Bull Commercial:
PETA says the reason the ad shouldn't be on the air is because, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chained dogs are nearly three times more likely to attack than dogs who are not chained." Verizon pulled the ad two days after PETA contacted the company. In a press release from the PETA Media Center, PETA says "a bouquet of flowers from PETA with a heartfelt thank-you note is on its way to Verizon's executive headquarters."
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More on on the Pit Bull Commercial:
PETA says the reason the ad shouldn't be on the air is because, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that chained dogs are nearly three times more likely to attack than dogs who are not chained." Verizon pulled the ad two days after PETA contacted the company. In a press release from the PETA Media Center, PETA says "a bouquet of flowers from PETA with a heartfelt thank-you note is on its way to Verizon's executive headquarters."
Is this ad offensive? Discuss it.
Comments
PeTA cares about “Pit Bulls”??
That`s laughable.
PeTA lobbied long and hard to have the “Pit Bulls” abused by Michael Vick put down, but then raised funds off their backs although they had nothing to do with them.
The PeTA ‘cult’ may have sent emails but they certainly don`t give a tinker`s damn about “Pit Bulls”!
PeTA wants not only “Pit Bulls” expunged but they want to end the whole concept of Pets.
Hundreds of thousands of good Non-PeTA people who truly care sent emails expressing their outrage at this stereotype of these wonderful dogs chained in inhumane conditions and THAT`S why this ad was pulled.
Don`t be fooled by PeTA
Read more about their “love” & “compassion” for all animals here.
http://nathanwinograd.blogspot.com/2008/07/127000-hits-in-026-seconds.html
I don’t know what I find more offense…Verizon’s ad or the fact that PeTA is taking credit for it being pulled. Its rather ironic that PeTA is only “PRO-pit bull” when it is economically convenient for them. Its a travisty that people don’t know the funds they donate to PeTA based on their “pro-pit bull” position on select, media-hyped issues goes to fund and promote legislation designed to elminate the breed. Shame on PeTA for exploiting a breed that seems to fall victim to everything…even so-called “animal welfare” advocates.
When so many people cruelly leave dogs chained up 24/7, and the CDC shows how terribly dangerous that is to boot, kudos to Verizon and PETA for getting or taking that image off the air so that it doesn’t seem as “normal”!
When I saw the commercial I didn’t think a thing about the pit bulls being leashed like that because I couldn’t get over the stupidity of the commercial in the first place. I wonder if this ruckus would have been caused if Verizon used mutts. Would PETA and others still be up in arms because a mutt was on a chain in a junk yard?
to Dave: yes, I’d care if it were mutts. Mutts don’t get the bad press or bad image pits do, however, so why would Verizon do mutts?
I don’t think PETA is pro-pit bull at ALL!
I don’t know whether the 7000 emails were from PETA or people like me were lumped in that number. I’m not PETA, but I am pro-pit bull. and I sent an email. And am a Verizon customer, so maybe that has bearing in their decision, too.
I think both commercials are silly.
After googling this commercial to show my friend the fact that the song Mutiny was played in it and found that it had been pulled I was immediately flabbergasted. After reading the alleged “reasons for being pulled” I was amazed. I’m surprised Verizon crumbled under such ridiculous pressure. I seriously must play too many video games because I’m slowly finding out how sensitive a lot of America is becoming. First of all, if you’re sensitive, you shouldn’t be watching TV; it’s dangerous. Second of all, most times commercials do these kinds of things to push the product, not to explicitly display pit dogs in an unclean environment; antagonized by chains or otherwise.
It’s ridiculous that such claims are even valid. If it were some small-business doing this, they’d probably get away with it, but because it’s Verizon, who’s reputation is a big part of its productivity, they have to be more careful. I can understand if the guy kicked the dogs, or if the dogs had tics, or if they were green-tinted or some ridiculous thing like that, but the “environmental aspects” of the commercial that the dogs are displayed in are completely irrelevant. It could’ve been a CLEAN junkyard, the point is that “big dogs with sharp teeth seem scary when chained” and that getting close to them just to touch a phone is a big dare.
Silly though they may be, they’re not commenting on society or dogs, they’re saying “Buy our phone.”. America needs to become less sensitive; commercials aren’t about the viewers, they’re about the product. “Buy the product.” not “We think this is true.”.
PETA was NOT the 1st 1s to contact VERIZON..in disgust over the PIT BULL ad!!!
THOUSANDS of MYSPACE users passed around a petition..and also passed around the ‘word’ about the commercial.
I,myself wrote an email to an EXECUTIVE with VERIZON..in the 1st few days of the released commercial. I recieved an email back..within an hour..from that executive! A very nice email..promising to forward my email through the proper channels..& get it to the right people. At that time..hardley anyone had contacted them!
I believe that ‘PETA’ jumped on the bandwagon..AFTER ‘MYSPACE’ users brought it to LIGHT!
And for the RECORD….PETA is NOT a ‘PIT BULL FRIENDLY’ organization!!!! ANY dog..BUT a PIT BULL!!!!
Thanks…
The article isn’t saying PETA was the first to contact Verizon. The article is simply about PETA’s efforts to get the commercial off the air. PETA put together a big effort to get the commercial off the air and it has the member numbers and high media profile to do it. PETA doesn’t have to like pit bulls to have a dog in this fight, so to speak.
Who do you think Verizon is going to pay attention to more? Some MySpace users or an organization that can get way more negative publicity and boycotts put on Verizon?
Gee, that’s a tough one.
PeTA sent flowers!?! Oh my God, they cut off their living stems and sentenced those blossoms to a lingering death in a vase.