Was lazing at my friends place and he was watching some horrendous mallu movie where the 'Mr. I-Dare-to-Do' police officer Suresh Gopi flexing his 'toned up muscles' and some match in IPL. I got bored of this two, and nicked the remote to watch some other channels, or my favorite - the ads and was channel surfing and suddenly I saw a news in some channel about a controversy about the new Vodafone ad aired in India. Some one have alleged that the animal have been treated badly and kicking up some dust.
Curious about the issue, I goggled to get some more news about it when I got back home. Now, before you read further, watch the ad (if you haven’t watched it already)
I am not a great lover of dogs, but I don’t hate them. I think I can have one at my home, if some one else is taking care of them. For me, this ad is a very cute way to getting a message across.
I remember the old Hutch ad, where the pug used to follow a boy where ever he goes sending a message 'wherever you go, your network follows'.
Then hutch became Vodafone, but the pug stayed back in the ads. Now they have come up with a new ad, with a tag line 'Ready to help', which shows the pug helps a young girl. A very cute ad, I say.
The ad is on air for almost a month now, and now the Animal Welfare Board of India have sent a show cause notice towards Vodafone and the ad agency who created this ad. What irked them is the scene where the pug runs behind the but with a tie, and they says it could have endangered the life of the pug.
the ad agency said that there was a licensed vet around and certificates about the health of the pug was obtained before and after the shooting...
Now, to this jump in PETA, the NGO which is a part of many controversies. They tried to support the Animal Welfare Board of India, but am not so sure whether the job was a success or failure.
what troubles me is the policing in ads. First the uproar to ban all the ads which shows motorcycle stunts...now it is 'cruelty' against animals. What next? Do you really think making the pug run behind the bus amounts to cruelty to it?
44 comments:
Definitely NOT!!! I think it's an awesome way of portraying the sensitivity and loyalty of a dog, or any animal...Remember my recent post on animals...? Whether or not people appreciate animals or not, I'm sure most of them would say "Awwww, so cute" on seeing the ad...!
I think the PETA and these Animal Welfare whaetvers work this way as a PR strategy...They aren't noticed and noone knows about them...To top it all, everyone is raving about the Vodafone ad...So what do they do....? Go ahead and create a controversy...Marketing strategy for them, you see...
Now if the animal were to be truly tortured and if they have proof for it, then I would support them in their protest, but seriously, as far as I can see, it doens't seem to be so...
Everytime I see that ad, I tell mom 'whoa look at that dog run.. uncontrollably..'
didn't look cruel or life threatening though! But who knows what they did to make it run like that!!
and yea.. the new vodafone ads are cute :)
Hey it’s a no. 1 nonsense !
Well I am 100 % sure all who watched the ad loved both the girl and the pug and yes of course the idea to show that “Vodafone cares to help” . Even my mom and dad who don’t hate dogs but surely don’t appreciate owning one loved it and when we insisted on having a pet were kind of positive .,,, I am sure this ad doesn’t let any one thing so ..even the hardcore pessimist.
No wonder that the PETA and the others have come up with this thought after one month of telecast.. it must taken great amount of brain work and time to conclude on something like this .
There are lots of issues which one can raise, like ads for paan , liquor all seem more open .. and easy these days … leaving all that there is an issue for the dog running behind its owner ? Pets esp dogs are so loyal they run even if its not in ads: D
Hey Anoop.. you are tagged with the love link tag :D
*sigh* but I know u wont do it.. its ok :) I knew it.. but had to put ur name in there :)
Hmmm thxs 4 bringing out the reality behind such a cute ad..behind such a concept such a reality was being underlaid...thxs and bt they r seriously cute...
@preetz: exactly my point da.. i dont think the dog have been harrased or il treated.. PETA and otehrs r just trying to get some milage...
@shru: true
@meenu: yup..almost every one adore the Pug.
@madz: i hope u r telling teh 'reality' behing the allegations by PETA. i dont think there have been any kind of torture or mis treatment to teh dog while shooting the ad...
this is sheer stupidity... i did not know of this controversy...
I guess people just want to gain some mileage with picking up on issues every now and then...
the people who create this controversy should run on the roads and all the pugs should run after them and should have their lives in danger by barking at them.. and maybe biting them too..
idiots !!!
i think Vodaphone ads are a nice way to say what they want to !!
Not sure if they are so keen to help in reality though :)
No way...
some ppl just want to make their presence felt...
What? they're complaining about that pug running after the bus?! how absurd!
Before you know it, they're gonna complain about the part where the pug licks the stamps for the little girl - what if the glue was poisonous to the dog?!!!
aama i meant tht only da ...in the spur of anger wht al comes with it na... just for earning quick bucks wht all strategies and policies ...sometimes they even wont mind stooping down beyond levels..(jus a probablity) dnt take me otherwise..:P coz the ad is really cute..
Hmm, more like making a mountain outta mole hill. :\
its a lovely ad.
like it even better than thehutch pug ads
however am not a fan of voda, having had a few run ins with them ( got everything recredted to my account. thats another issue)
i dont think the animal rts activs hav to be this much on the draw
hmm, the dog running behind the bus is objectionable? Then what else is it supposed to do? sing ghazals or solve crosswords?
The peta and cupa bastids are nothing but media hungry arm chair activists, most of whom are page 3 regular dumbfucks.
Btw, here's the link to download the video and mp3 of the the new ad:
http://www.vodafone.in/vodafone/footer/pages/vodafone_Tv_ads_01.aspx
Unreal. These idiots can't focus their misplaced energies on a real problem - stray dogs, for instance - because that takes too much work. It's far easier to send a notice to the ad agencies and have them run around.
No way.... We all simply love these ads. I guess some bloke (in PETA) was bugged by his son or daughter to get a dog similar to the pug and just to avoid any problems of raising a cute dog, he just showed his anger on the ad guys.... Anyway, by any chance, do u know where I can get that background score of 'Everyday I want to fly'
Its bullshit! These people with causes-to-die-for carry things a little to far me thinks. Sometimes I feel that the animals get more people to campaign for them than orphans, rape victims, battered wifes and the homeless do.
the ad is so very cute, na?
as for te controversy...i wish they would do something about the stray dogs, the ones who really need attention....
Huh!!! Wat to say tho'..
Thats a beautiful ad...and my kids now want the same pug :(...
I also heard somewhere that they did the shots in small intervals...so the dog didn't have to run such tiring distances. And they kept all factors in mind before they shor it...
I'm sure those ad guys must have done a through reasearch knowing Maneka and her obsession, before doing such stuff
@prasanth: ha ha ha.. thatz a good one... the Pug chaing the PETA ppl... :)
@anjuli: excatly...
@priya: so true.. they will even do that too...
@madz: i thought so.. was just clarifying pa :)
@Busy_Writer: yeah, true...
@amooma: swagatham to my page :) true.. they r making a big fuss...
@Vasanth: yeah.. almost same way ppl raised the voice about the pulsermania ad... agree with ur views.. the page 3 fumbducks... just want to ride the gravy train... thnx for teh link, yaar.
@bpsk: welcome to my blog :) yeah, true.. they suitably turn a blind eye towards problems which cant get them any milage...
@red phonix: he he he.. thazt a hilarious possibility :) try the link given by deadman... :)
@macadamia: yeah..sometimes they DO get more exposure than human beings...
@suma: yeah, itz very cute.. love the ad...stray dogs. tahzt a different story...
@priya: yeah...
@prats: so whn r u getting the pug for the kids? yeah, i agree.. i am sure they wouldnt have taken any risks, knowing abt Maneka and all...
When monkeys/beers are made to dance on the streets,
exotic and other birds are kept and sold in shoeboxes,
iguanas and other lizards are served in high-way dhabas visited by honchos,
most zoos are in a dilapidated state and animals are made to live in miserable conditions,
and poaching of elephants and tigers have reached an all time high,
what does the so called "Watchdogs" of animal rights do???
Go after a well fed/well cared for dog and its multibillion dollars sponsors which gives the well manicured office bearers of these Watchdog bodies immiedate media attention.
Talk about getting your priorities right!!!
That's SUCH a cute ad! I loved it!
i think the world is becoming a bit too damn self righteous for my taste...wanna do something good?, why dont everyone share their meal with some one hungry?
we have our children carry a ton load of books to school, our buses are loaded with people who hve to stand on all available space to travel, our women are not safe out there alone or with people...and here there are people fighting for a dog wearing a tie...
well, wht the hell..maybe the dogs day has come afterall
Hi Big Bro...
hey...I was thinking about writing on this add too...its really sweeeeeeeet and cuteeeee!
Ummm...I think this was a gr88 way of showing an animals loyalty...BTW, there are so many other (real and harsh) animal abuse cases so why don;t they focus on them??
I beleive it's just for the media hype :P
@comrade: true... the priorities r hogging media limelight and creating hoopla which can give them milage...
@aner: yup yup...
@Tys on ice: welcome to my page. yeah... too many incidents of moral policing...and trying to be too politically correct...
@meghz: yeah.. just a case to get some media attention...
Havent watched the ad..but sounds like another publicity stint to me..
i thought the ad was cute.. read about the controversy too...
that what it is in INDIA this days. some self appointed policemen on name of morality ;)
esp the lady gandhi....m surprised how she hasnt said something.
the vodafone ad is good one and quite "hat-ke" from other crappy ads....
the ad is being shot in South Africa. does this come in circumfrence of PETA/POTA/MOTA whatever crap that it is
the many many ironies here will soon make my head implode! lol.
dogs are treated badly in India? no!
Its a fad that's catching on!
I have seen the ad many many times.The REAL issues are cruelty which is happening right in front of the eyes--so many owners mistreat their pets.So many strays are pelted.I am a big animal lover.I wrote an article recently about cruelty to camels (It was published in front page in Pune TOI)The revelations there are shocking.
Compared to all that I really dont think making the pug run a few metres is cruelty at all. They are just making a hoo-ha about a small issue.It is the REAL issues which need to be addressed.
i read about this on the news a few days back...n was thinking Seriously..The Animals Welfare board needs to turn their attention to things that actually need attention! they are kicking up a fuss over nothing! Jobless people!
well such agencies hav nuffin substantial to do...so they just keep pickin shit all d time!
This is absolute crap. The ad is just portraying something so beautifully. As for the pug, they can't imagine its pampered life.
Where the hell is this same PETA and its whines when stray dogs are electrocuted in India? And where is it in case of other animals too? Those who pull carts and are beaten mercilessly? This is just sheer publicity gimmick. Next we know, they'll whine about how we make our own dogs take a walk and run. It could cause the animal breathlessness or some shit like that.
Personally I think those dumb animal activists have way too much free time and not much to do.
I've seen ads where animals get used pretty bad and still not get complained about.
Btw, interesting blog you have here...kinda stumbled upon by mistake.
@myth: i bet...publicity stunt it is, for sure...
@juby: hm...
@ashu: aargh.. these moral polices...yeah, love that ad, in fact.
@sony: he he he... yeah, true...
@gayathri: yeah..unfortunetely...
@Ps: agree with you to teh T.I too see many camels in and around Bangalore, and have many times wondered abt the crual life they go through...
@pavi: u r spot on yaar.
@gunj: yup.. right said you.
@drenched: yeah. true... these guys dont make any voice about teh real animal abuses happening.. they just do something which can give them some milage...
@rahman: welcome to my blog :-D I agree with you - they have lotof time, and wantt o make maximum out of any situations... just out of curiocity - how did you stumble on my blog?
No!i can say this in spite of being a dog lover....first of all the pug in this ad is oh so cute!! :D but on a serious note who was there when the ad was being shot to c if it was treated cruelly or not...i feel these animal activists take things too far at times!!btw nice blog buddy. :)
@riya: welcome to my page. true yaar.. they r just making a big fuss...
Cant they just look at the fun thing and leave out all what they create up?
As i see from this is just a dog wanting to help, nothing concerning the dog being tortured or maltreated.
@--xh--
well I guess I just hit thru the "Blogs I read" links frm someone who linked up your blog...can't actually remember who though...I have this habit of wandering all over blogs and commenting on good ones :)
Cherio!
ohh such a cute add is wat i can say..doesnt look like the dog is suffering anyway.....well if they want to tell about animal torture, all they have to do is look around them to see it daily...pheww
it is very well shot..smeone used there brain ... and made it! One of the many ads.. that has meaning :-/
smetimes i hate PETA.. and all those welfare things :-|
the dog is not doing it for free... it is been paid!
darn!
WHAT...!!!!!!1
Cant they see all tose dogs running behind cars/ vehicles at every nook and corner of India...????//
What about them...
its such a cute ad...all for the sake of creating a hype,...huh
Now this is really funny, i swear... Pug running behind a bus is dangerous! Wow.. When will they graduate, PeTA et al.
So what's the next case gonna be? No more showing dogs carrying the newspapers, as they might read it and become intelligent? Or They might get chocked to death.. ahh.. funny
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