PETA’s at it again: dog milk OOH courts controversy but turns heads too

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), known for its no-holds-barred approach to animal rights campaigning, has once again sparked controversy with its latest anti-dairy campaign in India.

PETA received widespread criticism in a country where forcing children to drink a glass of milk every day is regarded as the pinnacle of good parenting and milk teas drive the economy at all levels.

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The billboard ad, launched on World Milk Day, claims that "If You Wouldn't Drink Dogs' Milk, Why Drink the Milk of Any Other Species?" Featuring a suggestive image of a woman drinking Indie dog milk. 

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The campaign's objective, PETA notes in its press release, is to challenge  ‘speciesism’, the prejudice and subsequent discrimination against one species over another.

It highlights the inherent cruelty of dairy production and consumption, from "forcefully impregnating cows and buffaloes, stealing their babies, and consuming the milk meant for their young".

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The Out Of Home (OOH) campaign, which was displayed in key Indian cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Noida, and Bengaluru, has sparked a debate on social media platforms, dividing the online community and, by extension, the advertising industry.

People’s verdict: applause or aversion?

PETA's intention to provoke thought against the often-overlooked animal cruelty associated with dairy farming is evident. However, critics of the ad argue that the visual's shock effect overwhelmed the ad's message.

One X (formerly Twitter) user commented, "This message could've been conveyed differently. This just misses the mark entirely." 

Another exclaimed, "How do I unsee this now?" This highlights the ad's disquieting element for some. A third user agreed, calling it a "distasteful ad". "There are plenty alternative ways to promote vegetarianism; this is not one... It's unpleasant to manipulate photographs like this."

However, a segment of the audience also praised the campaign's confrontational attitude, stating it succeeded in breaking through societal conditioning in India.

A supporter shot back, "If this disturbs you, it's because the reality is disturbing. We've just normalised it... PETA is just asking us to pause and think", while another argued that there was an "urgent need for more production of vegan milk with less cost”, adding that it will be more impactful if the government starts promoting it.

PETA's history of controversial yet impactful advertising

Since PETA is in the business of challenging societal norms, this isn’t the first time the American non-profit has been chastised for using shock tactics to garner attention and spark debate. 

The following are some examples of provocative advertising used by PETA to challenge popular dietary habits as well as to call into question some standard lifestyle choices. 

‘Save the Whales: Lose the Blubber, Go Vegetarian’: Referring to overweight humans, this controversial campaign provoked heated discussions about the link between meat consumption and obesity in 2009. The campaign attracted accusations of body shaming and had to be taken down. PETA replaced it with a billboard that said, "GONE: Just like all the pounds lost by people who go vegetarian".

‘Holocaust on Your Plate’: This campaign was launched in 2003 and banned in Germany, parts of the UK and Europe soon after. The ad juxtaposed images of starving skeletal depictions of holocaust victims alongside the images of farm animals with a similar appearance equating meat and dairy consumption with the Holocaust.

‘I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur': Launched in 1990, this iconic campaign lasted almost three decades, featuring numerous celebrities posing nude to protest the fur industry. Celebrities including The Go-Go's, Pamela Anderson and Eva Mendes posed for the campaign.

Anti-SeaWorld Campaigns: PETA has also relentlessly campaigned against circuses, zoos and marine parks like SeaWorld. Hoping to impact public perception and attendance, the non-profit pasted posters of captured sea mammals on trucks to make it look like a cage. 

PETA’s World Milk Day campaign may have received criticism for its execution but the critique itself makes the campaign fit squarely with the NPO’s long list of hard-hitting advertisements that are often criticised, sometimes banned, but never ignored.