The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

John Lewis PETA

Peta praises John Lewis’ use of CGI in Monty the Penguin Christmas ad

Author

By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

November 11, 2014 | 2 min read

Animal Rights group Peta has awarded John Lewis with the Compassionate Marketing Award for opting to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) in its latest Christmas ad, ‘Monty the Penguin’ - instead of enlisting real animals on set.

Viewers will never be able to meet the CGI Monty

The ad, created by adam&eveDDB launched last week to widespread praise. Rather than using a real penguin, the firm hired the Moving Picture Company to create Monty using special effects.

As a result of not using real penguins in the shoot, Peta bestowed the award upon the retailer.

Mimi Bekhechi, UK director of Peta: “John Lewis' decision to use computer-generated imagery for its latest TV advert, rather than using frustrated, tormented animals, puts it in line with other progressive and conscientious companies and spares penguins the stress of being treated as living props.

“On-screen entertainment has progressed technologically as well as socially since the commercials of the 1970s, in which chimpanzees were forced to wear roller skates, carry pianos or pour tea from a pot. Slick creations such as this ad show that using actual animals, as well as being cruel, is utterly unnecessary.”

The group also applauded the use of CGI in Darren Aronofsky's ‘Noah’ and Rupert Wyatt's ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ in addition to the meerkats in Compare the Market ads.

John Lewis PETA

Content created with:

John Lewis

Find out more

More from John Lewis

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +