The Fur Industry Is Deceiving You: Board Slams Misleading Fur Federation Ad
An International Fur Federation (IFF) ad campaign has been shut down in France. After PETA France filed an official complaint with the French Board of Advertising Ethics against an ad in Vogue Paris, the board ruled that the ad was in violation of French and international codes of advertising ethics.
The Fur Trade Is Unethical
The barbaric fur industry kills of animals each year, but in this print ad campaign, the IFF claimed that fur is “ethical”. PETA France explained to the board that 85 per cent of fur is stolen from animals who spend their lives in tiny wire cages on fur farms before being killed by gassing or anal or genital electrocution.
In the misleading ad, the IFF tried to hide the fact that all fur is the product of a cruel and unethical industry that exploits, torments, and slaughters animals for vanity. The fur trade subjects species such as raccoon dogs, minks, and foxes to life-long physical and psychological torment in order to profit from their skins.
© Jo-Anne McArthur / #MakeFurHistory
Fur Production Is an Environmental Nightmare
Fur production relies on farming animals – one of the biggest causes of climate change – and on chemicals that damage the environment and human health. There’s nothing eco-friendly about caging animals, gassing them to death, and treating their skins with toxic chemicals designed to keep them from rotting.
For these reasons, the board ruled that the IFF’s ad violated French advertising standards as well as the “principles of fairness and truthfulness” set by the International Chamber of Commerce code.
Similarly deceptive fur ads were banned in Belgium in 2011 – for using the term “eco-friendly” – and in the UK in 2012, when the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that certain claims that fur “biodegrades” and can be “recycled easily” were misleading.
©Jo-Anne McArthur / #MakeFurHistory
Most consumers know that there’s no kind way to kill animals for their fur, and as the number of fur-free designers – including Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, and Armani – is skyrocketing, the fur industry is headed for the history books.
What You Can Do
Please refuse to support the exploitation and killing of animals for their skin. Instead, choose vegan fabrics, which are cruelty-free and always the more sustainable option.
Speak out for animals suffering in the cruel fur industry by taking these actions.
