For many people, the word “PETA” brings to mind eye-catching protests and advertisements that feature women swathed in nothing but red-hot chili peppers or nearly naked women whose body parts are marked with words such as “rump” or “thigh” (to remind people that animals and humans have the same parts). Although we keep our “naked” campaigns out of the Middle East, we drop trou in public protests elsewhere because the situation for billions of animals is critical, and our goal is to grasp the world's attention – by any means necessary – in order to compel people to action. If people don't notice us, they won't ever hear our message, and we have found that people take notice of our racier actions. Sometimes this requires tactics such as naked marches and colorful ad campaigns that some people find outrageous or even rude. But part of our job is to shake people up and even shock them in order to initiate discussion, debate and, of course, action. Our opposition, which is mostly made up of wealthy industries and corporations, has a financial interest in blocking the animal rights message. PETA Asia relies on getting free “advertising” through media coverage. We often do shocking things to get the word out about animal abuse because, sadly, the media usually do not consider the facts alone interesting enough to cover. Colorful and controversial gimmicks, on the other hand – such as when activists “bare skin rather than wear skin” – consistently grab headlines, bringing the animal rights message to audiences around the world. Although PETA has long been a leader in creating buzz to support our cause, we aren't alone in recognizing the value of getting people talking. According to Brett Gosper, former CEO of Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, an advertising firm which created a controversial anti-racism campaign, “If your communication is selling a cause, then shock tactics may not just be an option, they may be essential. Budgets on cause-related work are so low that it is imperative for the media to relay your communication and multiply its visibility. Media won't do this out of the goodness of their hearts … the more controversial the advertising, the more space it will get”. We wish it weren't the case, but experience has taught us that provocative and controversial campaigns and ads make the difference between keeping important yet depressing subjects in the public eye and having them ignored. We're dedicated to helping the foxes who are electrocuted and skinned by the millions in the fur industry, the calves who are torn away from their distraught mothers and slaughtered in the meat industry, the elephants who are beaten bloody and forced to live in chains year after year in circuses and the billions of other animals who suffer torment, isolation, starvation, terror and violent death at the hands of all kinds of uncaring industries. And we would not be doing these animals any good if we let their message get lost in the torrent of tabloid-style stories that dominate the popular media. We have, however, done several “softer” ads using humor or child-appropriate drawings of animals. PETA Asia makes a point of having something for all tastes, from the most conservative to the most radical, and this approach has proved fantastically successful. We understand and respect anyone's right to disagree with our tactics, but we hope, for the sake of animals, that everyone will continue to support projects they do agree with. And that's the naked truth! ** Ashley Fruno is a Senior Campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia. To get involved with PETA's work in the Middle East, visit PETAAsiaPacific.com. BM
