Melon Farmers Original Version



 

PETA can't pull the wool over the eyes of ASA...

Advert censor bans animal rights campaigners' claim that wool is just as cruel as fur


Link Here 4th September 2019
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media

peta bus advert An ad for PETA displayed on the side of buses, seen in February 2019, included the text Don't let them pull the wool over your eyes. Wool is just as cruel as fur. GO WOOL-FREE THIS WINTER PeTA. Beside the text was an image of a woman with the neck of her jumper pulled over her face.

Ten complainants, who believed that sheep needed to be shorn for health reasons and therefore wool should not be compared to fur, challenged whether the claim wool is just as cruel as fur was misleading and could be substantiated.

ASA Assessment: Complaints upheld

The ASA considered that the general public were aware that in the fur industry animals were often kept in poor conditions and were killed for their fur, and that they would interpret the ad's reference to cruelty in that context. We considered that people who saw the ad would therefore understand the claim wool is just as cruel as fur to refer generally to the conditions in which sheep were kept and the effects on sheep of the methods used to obtain their wool. We considered that although the public would recognise the ad was from an animal rights organisation and as such that the claim would represent its views, it was presented as a factual claim and a direct comparison between the two industries.

In terms of wool production in the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Code of Recommendations for the welfare of livestock had specific guidelines on the shearing process to ensure they were adhering to the standards of animal welfare which was required by law. Those guidelines stated that every mature sheep should have its fleece removed at least once a year by experienced and competent trained shearers who should take care in ensuring that the sheep's skin was not cut. We considered that demonstrated that the main method of obtaining wool from sheep by shearing would not be regarded by consumers as being cruel.

The Code of Recommendations and additional guidance also included specific provisions for the health, treatment, transportation and living conditions that sheep should be kept in for the overall benefit of their welfare. We considered this demonstrated that in the UK, there were standards to prevent cruelty to sheep.

We considered people who saw the ad would interpret the claim wool is just as cruel as fur as equating the conditions in which sheep were kept and the methods by which wool was obtained with the conditions and methods used in the fur industry. However, sheep were not killed for their wool as animals were in the fur industry and there were standards in place relating to their general welfare including relating to the shearing process. We therefore concluded on that basis that the claim was misleading and in breach of the Code.

The ad must not appear in its current form. We told PETA not to use the claim wool is just as cruel as fur in future.

 

 

Uphill battle...

Greek island authorities don't take kindly to livelihood threatening PETA adverts


Link Here 23rd June 2019
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
santorini donkeys Authorities on the Greek is land of Santorini have refused to allow an ad campaign that shows an exhausted donkey next to the words Donkeys Suffer for Tourists. Please Don't Ride Them to be run on local buses and taxis. The ads were intended to be placed on vehicles across the island in time for the peak tourist season.

A local ad company representative explained that because many bus and taxi drivers also own donkeys who transport tourists up steep steps, the municipality of Santorini refused to issue the necessary authorisation to run the ads.

 

 

Woolly thinking...

Peta demands that Pixar edit Toy Story 4 to remove Bo Peep's crook


Link Here 6th February 2019
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
Poster Toy Story 4 2019 Josh Cooley Toy Story 4 is a 2019 USA family animation comedy by Josh Cooley.
Starring Keanu Reeves, Patricia Arquette and Tom Hanks. IMDb

When a new toy called "Forky" joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.

Animal rights campaigners PETA have launched an ad campaign this week, demanding that animators Pixar edit out a sheep-herding crook from the new Toy Story film, ludicrously claiming that the object promotes animal cruelty.

Activists at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) saw the crook as a betrayal of Pixar's attempt to give the character a tough modern update, claiming that the sheep-herding instrument she carries is still problematic.

Their problem is apparently not that they think the crook itself is a cruel instrument, but the fact that it promotes exploiting gentle sheep for their wool.

It is surely doubtful that most kids will even know what the old-time shepherd's tool is in the first place.

 

 

Downhearted...

Peta complains after adverts taken down in Toronto


Link Here 18th October 2018
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
poster short hills bus image The animal campaign group Peta has taken issue with a North American retailer Canada Goose which sells down filled jackets. Peta writes:

To kick off our robust anti-Canada Goose campaign across the U.S. and Canada, an enormous billboard has been erected near the retailer's flagship store in Chicago. A goose, pleading for his life, now towers over one of Chi-Town's busiest streets, reminding drivers and pedestrians alike that geese don't want to die.

Meanwhile, in Short Hills, New Jersey, geese are making their own bus-side plea that's sure to grab folks' attention.

However not everyone is happy with the adverts leading to the advertising space company Astral, quickly taking down some of the adverts.

Peta wasn't impressed and responded:

Citing numerous complaints, the ad agency Astral Media Outdoor removed PETA's ads from several bus shelters in Toronto after they were up for just one day last month--so our legal counsel sent a letter to the agency pointing out that the censorship violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of expression, and demanding an explanation for the removal of the ads.

 

 

Vegan humbug...

PETA advert featuring a Christmas roast platter of dog rejected from display on London buses


Link Here 21st December 2017
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
peta roast dog poster Animal rights activists PETA wants to gross you out of serving roast turkey for Christmas. Their newest ad was considered so revolting and graphic that it was unsurprisingly banned from being displayed on London Buses.

The ad, which features a pet dog's head being served on an elaborate holiday serving plate with the caption:

If You Wouldn't Eat Your Dog, Why Eat a Turkey? Start a New Tradition. Go Vegan.

PETA, on the other hand, considers their ad food for thought, according to a recent blog post , and considers the London bus system's actions a shameful and confusing response. Londoners are bombarded with ads selling turkey corpses, PETA said in a statement to attempt to justify their own shocking photograph.

 

 

Update: Peta sticks its spurs in...

Animal rights group wind up locals by trying to censor historic pub name


Link Here 30th May 2015
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
fighting cocks st albans Animal rights group Peta has demanded that Britain's oldest pub changes its name to show compassion for animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says that Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans should update its name to Ye Olde Clever Cocks to reflect a change in society's attitudes.

Since it was founded in the eighth century, the pub in Abbey Mill Lane has had many names, but since 1872 it has been called Ye Olde Fighting Cocks because of its history of cockfighting - a sport banned in the UK in the 1800s.

Peta director Mimi Bekhechi said:

Changing the name would reflect today's rejection of needless violence and help celebrate chickens as the intelligent, sensitive and social animals they are.

Today, kind people are appalled by the thought of forcing birds to fight to the death and more people than ever are making the compassionate choice not to eat chickens, either.

Hundreds have taken to social media to express their outrage at the idea. Alasdair Melville who used to work at the pub said:

Rather than worrying about the name of a pub, I think Peta should worry about looking after chickens at chicken farms for example.

Another local added:

I do not associate the name with cock fighting, I associate with the history.

 

 

Updated: Own Goal...

Notts County boss takes a pop shot at a Peta poster


Link Here 7th December 2014
Full story: Peta...Animal activists challenging the media
peta bodily fluids advert An advertising poster in a Peta campaign against consuming dairy produce has been pulled from display following whinges from Notts County football club.

The billboard image shows a startled woman whose face has been drenched in a white liquid substance next to the words Some bodily fluids are bad for you. Don't swallow. Ditch Dairy.

Notts County complained that the nearby advert was not in keeping with [their] community and family-focused values. Damian Irvine, Commercial Director at the club ejaculated:

Families coming along to Meadow Lane for our blockbuster Christmas matches against Swindon Town on December 13 and against MK Dons on Boxing Day will not be subjected to the ads.

The design, which was described by the local paper as like the aftermath of a sex act , was commissioned and set to be displayed throughout December after a Swedish study claimed that an increased risk of bone fractures and mortality are linked to dairy products .

Mimi Bekhechi, director of Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), said:

The billboard is a cheeky way to alert passers-by to the dangers of drinking cows' milk.

Update: Nutter vs Nutter vs Censor

7th December 2014. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

resist porn culture logo An animal rights group has been branded misogynistic by a women's rights group. Campaign group Resist Porn Culture claimed the Peta poster was sexist and called for tighter regulations.

Lisa Marie-Taylor, from Resist Porn Culture, said adverts of this kind were inspired by the pornography industry, which she claiomed depicts women as subservient and often brutalised beings :

Peta's sexist, misogynist adverts aim to be original and thought-provoking but they are neither. Resist Porn Culture calls on the ASA to implement more stringent guidelines around such adverts and insists that the ASA adheres to its purpose and strategy statement 'to make every UK ad a responsible ad'.

A Peta spokesman said the billboard was a tongue-in-cheek warning about the dairy industry's treatment of cows:

While some people might disagree with our tactics, there is no one final word on what offends women and what doesn't. Many of the women here - and the women who have written in telling us they love the ad - have a different opinion.

Censors at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said they had received 9 complaints and were considering an investigation. '

Update: Taken down

9th December 2014. See  article from  bbc.co.uk

The anti-dairy poster by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) was placed outside Notts County FC's stadium on Thursday. It was taken down the next day and has now been replaced. Peta said another advert against eating turkey for Christmas would go up later this week instead.

 

14th April
2012
  

Update: Chewing the Fat...

Campaigner vs campaigner as National Obesity Forum whinge at Peta poster

peta meat your maker advert A billboard which links death with eating meat has been criticised by the National Obesity Forum (NOF).

The advert from animal rights campaigners, Peta, shows a coffin-shaped pie and asks the question Not ready to meat your maker? . It also recommends veganism in the fight against obesity.

Tam Fry, from the NOF, said the advert was laughable and an attempt to make a point out of others' misfortune. He said it was ridiculous that Gloucester had been targeted because the city was one of the less obese areas in the country:

We want to do all we can to lessen obesity but I do not think it appropriate at all to draw attention to it in this manner.

Yvonne Taylor, from Peta, said the billboard was deigned to highlight a link between meat pies and pasties and obesity and other ailments:

The best thing that coffin dodgers can do for their health and to help animals is to go vegan.

 

17th February
2012
  

Update: Modern Day Popeyes Get Super Virile on Spinach...

Peta adverts do a grand wind up job with wives enjoying getting knocked about by their super virile vegan partners

peta vegan man video PETA's ongoing shock tactics have landed them in hot water with women's rights campaigners. Their latest campaign features the message that violent sex is good sex.

The ad is a spoof of a PSA about a fictional syndrome called WVAKTBOOM, or, Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom out of Me... a painful condition that occurs when boyfriends go Vegan and can suddenly bring it like a tantric porn star.

The advert shows a woman wearing a neck brace trudging painfully back from shops. Under her parka coat she appears to have forgotten her skirt.

Back at home her sprightly (newly vegan ) boyfriend, wearing only his tighty whiteys , is fixing a hole in the wall, another casualty of last night's sextravaganza, a flashback hints.

Critics have been quick to accuse PETA of joking about domestic violence or implying that good sex should be rough enough to warrant medical care. The Daily Mail cited a few example forum posts form Mumsnet.

Columnist Sunny Hundal chipped in that Peta's new ad campaign is absolutely atrocious. Before kindly providing links to two more in the series whilst proclaiming: WTF were they thinking?

Tory Shepherd (See  article from  thepunch.com.au ) was a little more forthright:

This is just a nasty, puerile piece of work. Not because of the sex. Talking up the virility of a man who has forsworn all animal products is not a bad way to counteract the general impression of vegans as anaemic, pale weaklings.

But domestic violence? Really? Don’t chortle and say it’s “tongue in cheek” and “playful” and point out the chick’s “mischievous smile” as though really, she was asking for it. She’s wearing a neck brace, and you’re merrily jesting about needing protective equipment.

It will be interesting what the advert censors at the ASA make of it. They will no doubt require a little verification that a spinach diet sends men super insatiable.

 

16th November
2011
  

Update: Peta vs a Few Brown Pixels...

Animal activists PETA launch campaign against Super Mario's raccoon skin.

mario kills tannoki logo In a bizarre overreaction, the animal rights campaigners of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) have launched a campaign against Super Mario games.

They are taking issue with a magic skin of a raccoon used occasionally in the games.

Peta write:

When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy---even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.

Tanooki may be just a suit in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur.

Anyway Peta have published a flash game to highlight the issue of raccoon dogs being slaughtered for their fur.

Update: Nintendo reply

16th November 2011.  See  article from  gamepolitics.com

Speaking to Eurogamer, Nintendo commented on PETA's claim that Mario is pro-fur.

Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games. These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play.

The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves.

 

8th November
2011
  

Update: Ratty Comments...

Animal activists PETA complain about the killing of rats in the Battlefield 3 computer game

Battlefield 3 Limited Xbox 360 Electronic Arts' recently released Battlefield 3 allows players to shoot hundreds upon hundreds of human characters but it also features the horrific and brutal snuffing out of a small and innocent life.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have issue a press release in Germany saying:

The realistic computer game Battlefield 3 treats animals in a sadistic manner. The game gives players the option to kill a rat with a combat knife in the back in order to then lift it by its tail, then toss it away.

Killing virtual animals can have a brutalizing effect on the young male target audience. There have been repeated cases of animal cruelty in Germany, where young people kill animals. Inspiration behind these acts often came from movies and computer games.

 

22nd July
2011
  

Update: Given a Run for their Money...

PETA attempts to get a bull run scene banned in Bollywood movie

peta bull run The campaigners of PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) have been wound up by a scene in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara , which features a Spanish bull run.

The activists are urging people to ask the Spanish Ambassador to ban the scene.

Did the Running of the Bulls scene in #znmd upset u? Urge the Spanish Ambassador to India to help ban it! reads Peta India's Twitter page: We will now be contacting the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Central Board of Film Certification to take action .

The film's producer Ritesh Sidhwani retorts, We had submitted all the papers to the Animal Welfare Board India that stated that none of the animals were injured or hurt in any way and only then, the censor board cleared the movie. We are only showing the culture of Spain.

 

8th April
2011
  

Update: Telling Porkies...

Peta claims in advert that kids eating meat is child abuse

feeding kids meat is child abuse advert A row has flared over an advert by an animal rights group which claims that giving children meat is child abuse .

The poster depicts an overweight young boy eating a burger. It states: Feeding kids meat is child abuse - fight the fat - go veg.

Peta says it paid for the billboard poster in Merthyr because the town has a problem with overweight youngsters.

But the county council said the message it conveyed was stereotypically offensive and blatantly inaccurate.

Meat Promotion Wales said: Peta's agenda is to force everyone to peruse a vegetarian lifestyle and they are willing to exploit the suffering experienced by genuine child abuse victims to further their own agenda. Red meat is an essential part of a healthy diet and we will be making a fresh complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about this poster.

The ASA said it had received two complaints in response to the poster.

 

27th November
2010
  

Update: Be Proud of Your Body Scan...

Airports ban Peta adverts having fun with invasive security checks
peta be proud advert

   Be Proud of Your Body Scan: Go Vegan

PETA, the animal rights organization that never shies away from controversy, has produced sone new ads that make light of invasive body scanners and pat downs.

The Boston Herald writes that one of these ads, a video featuring Pamela Anderson as a sexy TSA agent removing leather and fur from travelers, has been banned at Logan Airport. It doesn't sound like an appropriate ad for the airport environment, says Massport spokesman Matt Brelis.

PETA's also trying to launch a body scan-mocking ad campaign featuring still photographs. One shows a scan of a woman wearing only a bra that's emblazoned with the words Be Proud. Elsewhere, the true message of the ad is visible: Be Proud of Your Body Scan: Go Vegan. The Associated Press writes that airports in Las Vegas, Charlotte, N.C. and New York City have all refused to display these ads.

Update: Hong Kong

31st December 2010. From cnngo.com

Pamela Anderson has made a new video promoting PETA causes with an airport security checkpoint theme. But Hong Kong Airport won't be playing the video, because it has been deemed too racy.

In the video, Anderson is a half-dressed airport security checkpoint officer who gives the yea or nay to passengers according to whether or not they're wearing fur, leather or other animal skins.

One couple does manage to pass through the security check without a glitch -- they're completely nude. Their naked tushies are shown on screen and were probably what crossed the line for JCDecaux, the ad agency responsible for what airs in Hong Kong Airport.

 

17th July
2010
  

Update: Some Animals are More Equal than Others...

Pamela Anderson Peta advert banned from display in Montreal

peta pamela anderson advert A vegetarian advert featuring Pamela Anderson in a bikini has been banned in Canada for being sexist .

Anderson features in a poster for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) covered in butcher's labels such as rump , ribs and breast .

The creators of the advert, which includes the slogan All Animals Have The Same Parts , had been seeking approval for it to be displayed in Montreal.

But Canadian officials rejected the banner, telling the animal rights group in an email it went against the battle of equality between men and women .

Anderson, who is a vegetarian and long-time Peta activist, hit out at the puritanical decision. She was due to unveil the poster at Montreal's Place Jaques-Cartier, but will now introduce it at a comedy festival media conference.

She said: In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens.

In some parts of the world, women are forced to cover their whole bodies with burkas - is that next? I didn't think that Canada would be so puritanical.

 

26th February
2010
  

Update: Cruelty to Tigers...

Peta have a bit of fun at the expense of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods Peta ad Though Tiger Woods has lost many of his lucrative endorsement deals since his widely publicized cheating scandal, there's one ad the pro golfer may not care to be a part of.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is looking for a local advertiser in Woods' neighborhood of Windermere, Florida to erect a billboard that will feature his image, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

PETA's ad will reportedly include the message, Too much sex can be a bad thing … for little tigers too. Help keep cats (and dogs) out of trouble: Always spay and neuter!

Though it may be difficult to find an advertiser willing to post the billboard, Virginia Fort, a campaigner for the animal rights organization, says the ad isn't intended to offend the golfer: It's a fun, tongue-in-cheek approach. We hope these billboard companies will understand .

As it turns out, Woods isn't too amused by the organization's new campaign. According to TMZ.com, PETA may pull their plans to post the ad, explaining, In light of conversations we have had with Mr. Woods' attorneys, plans to run our billboard are on hold at this time.

 

6th February
2010
  

Update: Shock Tactics...

Advert censor finds Baby P related PETA advert offensive

PETA advert A poster, for an animal rights campaign group, featured a picture of Steven Barker. Text next to the picture stated Steven Barker: Animal Abuser, Baby Abuser, Rapist. PEOPLE WHO ARE VIOLENT TOWARDS ANIMALS RARELY STOP THERE . Further text underneath stated Report cruelty to animals immediately PeTA . Issue

A complainant challenged whether:

  1. the ad was offensive and distressing, used unnecessary shock tactics and exploited the death of Baby P
  2. the ad, which was also located in the area where Baby P lived and died, was particularly offensive and distressing to residents of that area.

ASA Assessment:   Upheld

The ASA noted PETA's argument that the purpose of the ad was to inform the public to report animal cruelty in order to prevent future acts of violence towards humans. We considered, however, that advertisers who wished to refer to current or emotive news stories in their marketing should take particular care over how such stories were used, in order to avoid accusations of exploitation or shock tactics. We also considered that they should not cause fear or distress without good reason.

We noted that, although Baby P died in August 2007, his death was a high-profile, emotive case which continued to get extensive press coverage. We acknowledged that some people might therefore find the reference to the Baby P case in the poster exploitative. We considered that the claim and image used in the ad had been used in a shocking way merely to attract attention and that the reason did not justify the means in this case. We therefore also considered that the ad was likely to cause serious offence and distress to some people.

Furthermore, we noted that the poster had appeared in the area where Baby P had lived and died. We considered that the ad was likely to be particularly sensitive for residents of that area, and was likely to cause serious offence and distress to some residents.

We therefore concluded that the ad was in breach of the Code.

 

4th September
2009
  

Update: Nail Everything you Can...

TV Advert censor bans Peta's Sex Talk

Peta: Sex Talk ad A TV ad called Sex Talk that animal rights advocates Peta planned to air across Britain has been rejected by TV advertising authority Clearcast as being unacceptable on the grounds of offence.

Peta's 30-second ad, which has already aired in several markets across the US, features two parents encouraging their teenage daughter to become sexually active.

The father says Get out there and nail everything you can and the mother follows by saying If it's got a pulse you should be wrapped around it.

When the horrified girl asks But what if I get pregnant? , her parents tell her to pop out all the kids she wants. We can leave them in the shelter, dump them in the streets ... whatever.

The ad ends with the strapline: Parents shouldn't act this way. Neither should people with dogs and cats. Always spay or neuter.

 

24th March
2009
  

Dogs of War...

Whinging that dogs are killed in a computer game

Call of Duty: World at War The animal rights activists of PETA wrote on their blog:

Not since we were pitted against Nazi attack dogs when we first escaped from Castle Wolfenstein 17 years ago have we seen such barbaric treatment of dogs in video games as we did in Call of Duty, World at War .

During the course of the game, you are forced to shoot attack dogs and you can actually unlock a reward that allows you to unleash a pack of attack dogs on enemies.

In a post–Michael Vick world, you'd think that Activision Blizzard, which publishes the popular game, would take abusing dogs for entertainment purposes more seriously.

Fortunately, some students at a Massachusetts high school are not keeping quiet about their disgust with Activision. Breanna Lucci said: Killing dogs as a form of entertainment … over and over again. That's one of the objects of the game. Parents need to know what they are buying their kids. Killing animals should not be a form of entertainment.

 

28th January
2009
  

Update: Licking Pumpkin...

PETA generate some PR for getting Veggie Love advert rejected

Veggie Love ad You may not agree with all the tactics of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), but you gotta appreciate their online marketing.

The organization said it created the sexy Veggie Love ad to run during this weekend’s Super Bowl, only to have it rejected by NBC.

Obviously, the ad wasn’t really meant to air on TV, so it’s hoping for viral life online.

According to the PETA blog, the reasons NBC gave for not carrying the ad are more amusing than the ad itself, with the network requesting that shots of licking pumpkin and rubbing asparagus on breast be removed before NBC would reconsider.

Similar stunts have been pulled in the past, so will this combination of sex and censorship deliver a hit?

 

29th May
2008
  

Update: Kitty Porn...

Catty comments about PETA pet fertility control ad

Kitty Porn A new campaign featuring cats engaged in the act of making kittens is apparently too frisky for some television networks which are banning the "kitty porn."

The public service announcement, titled Sex and the Kitty, a take-off of the new movie Sex and the City, is produced by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The spot shows animatronic cats in heat, to say the least, as it focuses attention on the need for animal birth control.

Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of PETA said: When you consider the millions of unwanted cats and dogs born each year, it's clear that the purrfect solution is spaying and neutering companion animals.

The animal-rights group issued a release, claiming its PSA was banned from MTV and most networks for being "too steamy," but said the ad will run in Seattle this week on KSTW-TV.

However, when contacted by WND, the Seattle station was not so sure.

 

7th May
2008
  

Update: Finger Wagging Good...

ASA to investigate anti-KFC animal cruelty leaflet

Kentucky Fried Cruelty The advertising watchdog is investigating an ad by animal rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that shows KFC's Colonel Sanders spattered in blood and about to knife a chicken, after a complaint that it was offensive and could distress children.

The ad, on the front cover of a leaflet that Peta distributes across the UK, is part of a campaign the animal rights group is running against the fast food chain under the title "KFC Cruelty".

The text on the front of the leaflet states: KFC Cruelty. The Colonel's secret recipe includes: live scalding, painful de-beaking, crippled chickens.

The complainant to the Advertising Standards Authority said that the circular was offensive, irresponsible and unsuitable for targeted delivery and was particularly concerned that it could distress children who picked it up.

The ASA is investigating the leaflet and its contents to see of it breaches the advertising code's stipulations on responsible advertising, decency and causing fear and distress.

Peta says that this is the first time the leaflet has sparked a complaint made through official channels since the campaign began in 2003: The cartoon image of Colonel Sanders killing a chicken on our leaflet is obviously a caricature - a comic. We cannot imagine that our leaflet would provoke fear in anyone unless the reader was a chicken.