The campaign against animal cruelty, which features a supposed a terrorist takeover of a supermarket, is being rolled out by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in time for Thanksgiving, when an estimated 40m turkeys will be eaten.
The television spot depicts shoppers going about their business before their shopping is interrupted by a strained voice on the Tannoy system, saying: "Attention shoppers: Do exactly as I say and nobody gets hurt". The ad cuts to the office of the manager, who is seen sitting bound and gagged on the floor.
The ad has already been refused by a number of television stations and has been condemned by the US meat industry. A press version of the ad carrying the headline "Do exactly as we say and nobody gets hurt", has already been banned across the US.
Shoppers are warned: "Resist and innocent creatures will be beaten, scalded alive, dismembered and their throats slit, while countless people are poisoned at random by food laced with deadly bacteria."
The commercial eventually reveals the supposed "terrorist" to be a turkey puppet, which has somehow taken control of the manager's office. It finishes as shoppers are told that if they know "what's good for them they will meet my demands: Go vegetarian".
The charity defended its use of the terrorist idea and said it was laced with humour, denying the ad had anything to do with 9/11.
Lisa Lange, vice-president for communications of Peta, said: "A fake supermarket takeover has zip to do with the events of 9/11. You'd really have to be a big grump not to see the humour in all of this."
The commercial was created by former Earle Palmer Brown creative director Christian Carl, who was also behind last year's fur murder spot with his art director Dan Neri.
Carl is also behind three more anti-fur spots still to come for the upcoming holiday and winter season.
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