February, 10 2010, 03:42pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Meredith Turner, Farm Sanctuary, 646-369-6212, mturner@farmsanctuary.org
Denny's Acknowledges Suffering of Egg-laying Hens in Super Bowl Ads
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.
It was meant to
be a humorous promotion for a free breakfast, but the dark undercurrent of
truth running through the trio of Denny's "Chicken Warning"
Super Bowl ads did not go unnoticed by those familiar with the lifelong
suffering of egg-laying hens. In the first 30-second spot, which is part of a
new campaign created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Inc., Denny's
introduces a brand advocate who invites viewers to enjoy a free Grand Slam breakfast,
while warning chickens to get out of town because "it's going to be a
tough week for egg layers." Gene Baur,
president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary,
the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, had this to say
about the spot:
"In a surprise move, Denny's, home of the Grand
Slam breakfast, inadvertently delivered a powerful animal protection message to
millions of Super Bowl fans during Sunday's game between the Saints and
the Colts. I say 'surprise' because it's not every day that a
major restaurant chain makes a public acknowledgement (and during the Super
Bowl no less!) of the animal suffering that goes into the creation of their
menu items, but that is precisely what Denny's did with their 'Chicken
Warning' ads.
"Although the scenes of egg-laying hens relaxing at
home and playing pool couldn't be further from the truth - they
spend their entire lives on factory farms where they are packed so densely
inside tiny wire cages and dark, filthy warehouses they can barely move or lift
their wings - the spoken message that 'it's going to be a
tough week for egg layers' couldn't have been more spot on. The cruel
way these sensitive, intelligent birds, and all farm animals, are treated on America's
factory farms is incongruent with Americans' values of compassion. When
the announcer says 'it's a great day to be an American, bad day to
be a chicken,' we should remember that we are a nation that has always
prided itself on fighting injustice and reaching out to those in need, rather
than tolerating the torture and abuse of individuals less powerful than
ourselves. Regardless of whether or not people found the ads humorous,
Denny's (however unintentionally) made the connection between animal
suffering and the food on their menu, giving viewers a glimpse at the nasty
truth behind eggs."
You can watch the ads here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtSKfb_iCfI&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4R5tDgZFQM&feature=channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKc15rQKtk0&feature=channel
If you would like to speak with Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur, please contact Meredith Turner at
646-369-6212 or mturner@farmsanctuary.org.
Farm Sanctuary fights the disastrous effects of animal agriculture on animals, the environment, social justice, and public health through rescue, education, and advocacy.
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