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Banned animals rights group plots new ad campaign without ‘human animals’

An animal rights charity whose anti-animal testing ad was banned for using ‘unjustified graphic violence’ will not appeal the ruling – because it cannot afford the $2000 it must pay to appeal.

The ad for Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania had been running for 12 months before it was taken down after a single complaint to Ad Standards.

Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania billboard

The ASB ruled that the ad used ‘unjustified graphic violence’ in a billboard showing a women having make-up applied to her battered face by a dog.

Advertisers must pay $2000 to appeal an ad banned by the ASB. Today is the last day the AACT is eligible to make an appeal.

The AACT and Choose Cruelty Free, which co-authored the original ad, are now considering launching a new campaign, with backing by Lush Cosmetics, a handmade make-up brand that does not test on animals.

It is also looking for an agency to help it devise the campaign.

The new ad will most likely not feature images of “human animals”, the AACT’s coordinator Chris Simcox told Mumbrella.

The ASB had ruled that the banned ad “presents violence in a manner that is not justifiable in the context of the product being advertised.” The AACT is taking this to mean its ad should not have featured a human being.

Since the story broke last week, free legal services have been offered to the charity by Mumbrella poster JB, who complained to the ASB last week about a beer ad he thinks encourages unhygienic behaviour among men.

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