Fraught with irony is a case of truth in advertising in which advertisers have been truthful. But now in light of a massive recall, a number of those advertisers–or at least their attorneys–are trying to distance themselves from that very same truth.
I’m talking of the creative ad strategy that’s been a driving force behind profits for pet food makers lo these many years. It goes something like this: Your pet is a member of the family, a source of joy. You owe that feline and/or canine the very best in order to ensure their health and long life.
We’ve seen an endless procession of warm, fuzzy, tug-at-the-heartstrings commercials with people relating to their pets. The research as to how pet companionship has bettered the quality of so many human lives–from families with children to senior citizens living alone–is well documented. Programs that bring pets into hospitals to interact with patients have proven to be resoundingly successful in terms of buoying people’s spirits and outlooks on life.
But now in the wake of the tainted pet food that has caused the deaths–or compromised the health–of an untold number of cats and dogs, the posturing from pet food manufacturers’ lawyers is that a pet is akin to a piece of material property with a mutt or former alley cat worth no more than $10 or $20, except in the case of special pedigree breeds.
Therefore pet owners who’ve lost their so-called “family members” have no real basis on which to collect substantive monetary damages. These pets’ deaths, in the eyes of the law, are not worthy of significant financial recompense relative to loss and suffering–even though people’s grief is all too real.
So much for truth in advertising. The fact is that the aforementioned, perennially successful creative premise for pet food ads is true.
But it’s easy to stand by truth in advertising when it serves your purpose. For decades on end the purpose was indeed being served, with pet food makers profiting handsomely from people’s love for their cats and dogs.
Yet now that the emotional attachment people have to their pets could hurt pet food manufacturers in litigation, suddenly cats and dogs are reduced to inconsequential inanimate objects in terms of their value. And there can be no emotional loss over these “objects” when it comes to seeking redress in the courtroom.
So which is the lie–all that advertising over the years or the legal assertion now designed to cut pet food makers’ losses before judges and juries?
There’s no third choice–unless you take into account the fact that consumers can plainly see that the premium pet food they’ve been buying for Fido or Kitty’s wellbeing consists in large part of the same ingredients contained in, and made by the same company, for generic retail store-labeled brand food.
In the eyes of many pet owners, this constitutes fraud, leading to the conclusion that they’ve been lied to all along.
Nominees Unveiled For Cinema Audio Society’s 61st Annual Awards
The Cinema Audio Society has unveiled its nominees in seven categories for the 61st Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing 2024.
The 61st CAS Awards will be held on Saturday, February 22, at the Beverly Hilton.
Nominated in the live action motion picture category were the audio teams behind A Complete Unknown, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Gladiator II and Wicked.
Animated motion picture nominees were the sound ensembles behind Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, The Wild Robot and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
As previously announced, multi-award-winning sound mixer Tod A. Maitland CAS (A Complete Unknown, West Side Story, Joker), will be honored with the CAS Career Achievement Award. In addition, visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) will receive the Cinema Audio Society’s Filmmaker Award.
The CAS Award nominees highlight the outstanding contributions of sound mixers, recognizing excellence in the specialized craft of sound mixing for both film and television. Each year, accomplished CAS members—who possess extensive expertise in the art and science of sound—carefully review hundreds of projects to ensure the nominees truly reflect excellence in sound mixing in Motion Picture and Television entertainment.
“2024 was a year of remarkable achievements in the sound community, with exceptional talent on display across every category,” said CAS president Peter Kurland. “The innovation and artistry of these sound mixers continue to elevate the craft, and the upcoming awards will be a celebration of the outstanding contributions made this year. Congratulations to... Read More