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Chorus flier suggests trip to cruel bullrun
02 November 2005 An advertisement flier currently being distributed by cable and telephone company, Chorus, is suggesting a visit to one of Europe's cruellest events - the Pamplona bullrun. Showing a photo of a bull on both the front and back, the flier contains the following statement: "Connect to Cablenet Broadband from Chorus and you can do virtually anything. From downloading music and mp3s to booking hotels and flights...to Pamplona for instance." In a letter to the PR Department of the Limerick-based company, ICABS expressed disappointment at their suggestion that people book a flight to Pamplona. We also called for the flier to be withdrawn. "The Pamplona bull run is synonymous with awful cruelty to animals," we stated. "The bulls are frightened into stampeding through the streets with the use of electric shock prods and sharpened sticks. Along the route, they slip to the ground and invariably sustain painful cuts and bruises and sometimes broken bones. At the end of the day, they are brutally killed in the local bullring." We also drew attention to the fact that, over the years, numerous people have sustained severe injuries - fatal on at least 13 occasions - during the Pamplona bullrun. Quoted was an extract from an article by a BBC News correspondent who witnessed a fatal goring during a bullrun at Pamplona. In his report, Andrew Walker wrote: "The fighting bull which gored [the victim] weighed half a tonne. It hit him in the abdomen, severed a main artery, sliced through his kidney and punctured his liver, before tossing him seven metres (23 feet) in the air...In the car, 40 minutes later, heading out of town, the local radio told us what I already knew, that Matthew Tassio had died in hospital of massive blood loss." In response, Chorus Public Relations Manager, Edwina Gore, stated that the flier is part of an advertising campaign which also includes cinema and radio ads. This campaign, she claims, "does not suggest people should visit Pamplona nor promote bull running or blood sports". "The campaign was designed by our parent company and has been implemented right across Europe to show how easy it is to use our broadband product to research your holiday, book flights and hotels, upload your pictures, and lots more, with a little bit of humour," she added. ICABS finds this response unsatisfactory and hopes the company will consider the cruelty of the Pamplona bullrun and stop publicising the event.
Action Item Please contact Chorus and ask them why they chose to publicise one of Europe's most cruel and inhumane events. Ask them to scrap the Pamplona ad campaign.
SAMPLE LETTER
Edwina Gore, Public Relations Manager
Barry Johnson, Sales And Marketing Director
Dear Sir/Madam, I have just learned that Chorus is circulating a flier which uses the Pamplona bullrun as a theme. The flier contains a photograph of a bull during a bullrun and states that those who use your broadband service can do "virtually anything - from downloading music and mp3s to booking hotels and flights...to Pamplona for instance". Considering the extreme animal cruelty associated with the Pamplona bullrun, I find it offensive that Chorus is suggesting that people book a flight to go there. It is wrong to trivialise an activity which results in the suffering and brutal killing of animals and I hope your company will stop publicising the Pamplona bullrun. Thank you. I look forward to your positive response. Yours sincerely, Name/Location
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