New ad shows the gruesome reality of whale hunting
The unprovoked killing of animals has dominated the headlines this week after a US hunter killed a protected lion in Zimbabwe and now a new ad campaign is trying to raise the same awareness for whale hunting.
As reported by Adweek, Sea Shepherd, the direct action marine conservation society, has released a new video ad featuring Australian actor David Field enacting a whale killing with himself playing the whale.
The intestinally gruesome video features Field running on the sport as he mimics a fleeing whale before being shot in the back, choking and coughing up blood. The ad aims to draw attention to the whale hunting, which is still carried out by Japan in an international whale sanctuary, and the horrific method used to slaughter the mammals.
The whales are shot with an explosive harpoon which causes massive internal injuries and leaves them suffering for up to an hour before they finally die.
"The cruelty inflicted on whales is shocking, and while most people abhor whaling, I think many don't realise just how brutally these sea mammals are butchered," Field said in a statement. "As a supporter of Sea Shepherd, I want to bring this barbaric practice to the attention of as many people as possible in the hope that we can get it stopped."
The ad aims to evoke empathy among viewers by adding a human dynamic to hunting and uses the hashtag #UltimateDeathScene.
"Those who care about marine wildlife really feel something deeply when they see whaling taking place. We sought to harness this feeling to generate the maximum impact," said Paul Swann, creative partner at Sydney agency The Works, which created the campaign. "The idea of a human experiencing what a whale does, combined with a graphic execution, will come to life across video, social, radio and print."
The ad is available to view in full above.