Sprint Nextel Corp. said Thursday it will no longer use great apes in its advertisements after animal rights activists complained about an ad by the wireless provider that features a chimpanzee.
The Overland Park, Kan.-based company said the ad will stop running in movie theaters on July 3, when it already was scheduled to end. It also said it will not use great apes in future ads.
“Sprint and its advertising agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, take all necessary precautions to ensure any animals appearing in Sprint advertising are taken care of and are treated well,” the company said in a brief statement posted on its Web site.
A Sprint spokesman declined further comment.
The ad, meant to encourage theatergoers to turn off their cell phones before the movie, features a chimp movie star and his agent negotiating over the phone with producers for a part in a film.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked Sprint to pull the ads last month, saying animal trainers are known to abuse the animals they work with. The organization said it didn’t have evidence the chimpanzee used in Sprint’s ad had been abused.
At one point, PETA awarded Sprint a “Baddy,” which the organization assigns to companies with problematic advertising.
PETA upped the ante earlier this month when actress Anjelica Huston wrote about the poor treatment of some animal performers in Hollywood in a letter to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse.
Kristie Phelps, assistant director for PETA’s Animals in Entertainment campaign, welcomed Sprint’s decision. The wireless provider joins a number of U.S. companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co., that have agreed to not use great apes in advertising.
“We’re very pleased they’ve reached this compassionate decision,” Phelps said. “Every leading zoologist has come out against the use of great apes in entertainment because … you must use dominance and fear to get chimpanzees to perform.”
A “Wicked” Welcome From The National Board of Review
Days after "Wicked" went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday. The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn't win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller "Babygirl," Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced "Good girl!" and left the stage. It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. "Isn't this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?" quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani's. Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. "The bathroom attendant, that shouldn't exist anymore," Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain." The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's "Wicked." The musical was the board's pick for best film, best director for Chu and a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other. "Also you're welcome," added Grande. "I truly think you would have murdered anyone else." "Probably true," responded Erivo. Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with "Wicked," which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this... Read More