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PETA roaring mad at Food Lion ads

Animal activists are calling for Food Lion to discontinue using a live lion in its ads, but a planned protest at a commercial shoot this week was called off when the lion didn’t show.

Jon Springer, Executive Editor

April 16, 2015

2 Min Read
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Animal activists are calling for Food Lion to discontinue using a live lion in its ads, but a planned protest at a commercial shoot this week was called off when the lion didn’t show.

Food Lion has used a lion “spokesman” in its ads for more than two years. The animal advocacy group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it planned to protest a commercial shoot scheduled Tuesday in Van Nuys, Calif., but instead issued a statement condemning the practice after learning that the lion was not to be on the set that day. Food Lion in a statement said the lion was never scheduled to be on set that day, while PETA contended the threat of a protest caused the retailer to change plans.

“No lions were dragged to Food Lion’s commercial shoot in Van Nuys today, and PETA is calling on the company to make a pledge for the future: no wild animals in ads, ever," Delcianna Winders, deputy general counsel of the PETA Foundation, said in a statement. “Whether they’re filmed in front of a green screen or on a cramped commercial set, lions in the entertainment industry are denied everything that’s natural and important to them and are even beaten into obedience. Food Lion can and should create eye-catching ads without resorting to the use of deprived, captive wild animals.”

Food Lion in a statement provided to SN disputed that characterization.

“We require our filming partners to adopt numerous precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of the lion in our commercial. This includes using animal-actor trainers with an exemplary record of care and third-party oversight of the filming process every time the animal is on set.”

PETA and Delhaize had a prior dispute over advertising when the group in 2010 objected to a billboard promoting beef at the now defunct Bloom chain that emitted the smell of charcoal and black pepper. PETA at that time threatened to counter by erecting a neighboring billboard emitting the aroma of a slaughterhouse with the message “Meat Stinks.” That billboard however did not go up, reports said.

 

About the Author

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

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