I have always thought PETA’s ads were aimed mostly at a young audience. Think of all the people who have posed nude for PETA’s anti-fur ad – Pamela Anderson, Taraji P. Henson, Chad Ochocinco, Khloe Kardashian, Tony Gonzalez, Eva Mendes, Mario, Brooke Hogan, Steve-O – and well, there are not a lot of geriatric bodies in the bunch.
But, PETA’s new campaign is aimed at an older crowd and lead by a true super-legend – Cloris Leachman. The new campaign, titled “Cloris Leachman Reveals that Seniors and Elephants Have More in Common Than Wrinkles,” consists of a video telling older Americans about the abuse circus elephants suffer.
Leachman, still spry at 85, asks people not to attend circuses because of their treatment, or lack thereof, of elephants. In the video, Leachman says that not only do seniors and elephants share wrinkles, but like humans, elephants can also develop arthritis and it is often due to their poor conditions in captivity.
When Leachman talks about the “ridiculous” tricks circus performers have elephants perform, she tells the audience “And we thought the hoops we have to jump through for Medicare are a nightmare.”
Where can this video ad be seen? Well, in at least one place that might attract a lot of senior traffic – the website of AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons).
Why try to get seniors involved? Senior Vice President of PETA in Norfolk, Va., Dan Matthews, says that while there are coloring books about circus elephant abuse, PETA has found that the kids are “just a bit too young to be successfully reached online.”
And, because more and more seniors are getting online now, Matthews said, “We’ve decided to target the grandparents.”
In addition to the video, PETA also plans to reach out to seniors through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.