Your fun hurts animals – PETA shows dark side of animal circuses

Animals have long been caged, chained, and forced to perform in circuses like UniverSoul Circus, Jordan World Circus, Loomis Bros. Circus, and Carden Circus. Despite overwhelming public condemnation and calls to end their animal acts, it’s business as usual for these outfits.

PETA New Ad Campaign Shows Dark Side of Animal Circuses: Your fun hurts animals

To increase the pressure on them, PETA has partnered with award-winning ad agency Ogilvy’s Honduras team to launch a thought-provoking and vibrant ad campaign that contrasts the pageantry of a circus with the misery of the animals who are forced to perform in it.

Your Fun Hurts Elephants
Elephants are highly social animals who live in matriarchal herds, sharing mothering responsibilities for the herds’ babies. In nature, they spend their days socializing, browsing on trees and shrubs, playing in the mud and water, and exploring vast habitats. While touring with circuses, they spend most of their lives in chains, unable to take more than a step in any direction. Trainers use fear and pain to force them to perform. The exhibitor who supplies elephants to Loomis Bros. has been repeatedly caught striking elephants in the face and jaw with bullhooks.

Your Fun Hurts Tigers
In their natural habitat, tigers are apex predators who control vast territories and raise their young. In circuses like Carden, they’re locked in cages. They’re whipped to force them to perform tricks that they don’t understand. Regardless of how long they’re kept in extreme confinement, tigers never lose their genetic drives.

Your Fun Hurts Zebras
UniverSoul continues to force zebras to perform even though, as a prey species, being in close contact with humans—whom they view as predators—is highly stressful. Circuses put these sensitive animals in danger: Frightened zebras have escaped from UniverSoul and run through city streets on two different occasions. Zebras who have escaped from other circuses have sustained deadly injuries. The crazed look on this scary clown’s face is how zebras must feel in circus arenas.

Credits
Client: PETA
Campaign: Your Fun Hurts Animals
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Chief Creative Director: Wanda Cálix, Andres Villalobos
Creative Director: César Chinchilla
Creative: Sebastisn Bullorini, Daniel Palala
Illustrator: César Miralda
Planning Director: Alan Cruz