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Verizon Won't Yield To Protests Over Pit-Bull Ad

  • AdAge , Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:15 AM
A commercial that shows a young man confronted by two pits bulls when he tries to obtain Verizon's LG Dare phone by climbing a junkyard fence has infuriated groups from the Humane Society of the U.S. -- which has asked Verizon to pull the ad -- to PETA, the ASPCA and dozens of pet-related websites.

The dogs, with cropped ears and metal choke collars, bark ferociously and lunge at the intruder. Kathy Bauch, senior director-corporate relations and promotion at the Humane Society, says the ad could further inflame an already outstanding prejudice against pit bulls and "perpetuates the idea that it is okay to chain dogs and it is okay to have guard dogs."

Brenda Raney, a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless, says the company will not pull the ad. There are two ads that focus on the Dare, she says; the other depicts a woman on a ledge. "These are fictional ads, designed to be over-the-top, to break through the clutter and get our message across."

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