Sky TV reports that viewers found the advertisement’s depiction of animals intended for consumption “distressing” and requested that the ad be pulled from the air. Vegan Friendly UK pointed out that there were no images of violence being done to animals in any part of the advertisement (via The Guardian). It argued that the images used were not any more graphic than what could be seen in the windows of shops belonging to butchers or fishmongers lining any English high street. Vegan Friendly UK pointed out that its intention was to highlight the hypocrisy of those who claim to care for animal welfare while eating meat and that they were not attempting to vilify meat-eaters (via The Guardian).
Vegan Friendly UK is no stranger to controversy. The advertisement itself even points out that none of the animals shown were harmed for the purposes of filming. The advertisement ends with the disclaimer that, “[N]o animal was harmed, consumed, or purchased to make this advert,” followed by the text: “Make the connection.” The pro-vegan commercial which aired was originally shown in Israel on the U.K.’s Sky TV and Channel 4 (via Plant Based News). It quickly garnered more than 200 complaints from viewers.
The ASA also recently banned another advertisement for the Tesco brand, Plant Chef Burgers, which are a vegan-substitute burger patty (via Sky TV). The watchdog organization stated that the sustainability claims in the advertisement were misleading.