Circus elephant used in TV ad for AA
Archive - May 2005

UPDATE 1 JULY 2005: The Automobile Association (AA) has informed CAPS that "no wild captive animals will feature in future AA advertising". Although the TV ad featuring the elephant is planned for broadcast for another 2 weeks, it will not be used again. The AA has inundated with complaints from customers and concerned members of the public, with some AA customers cancelling their membership. During some of this time, the ad featuring Anne has been replaced with a shorter version which does not include her. Thank you to everyone who took the time to raise your concerns with the AA. The original article, published on the CAPS website in May 2005, follows below.

ELDERLY, ARTHRITIC, ALONE - AND ACTING FOR THE AA!

The Automobile Association (AA) has launched a new TV ad using an elephant despite complaints from animal protection campaigners.

Anne chained to the floor at the circus when she still had the company of other elephants

Although the AA has refused to confirm or deny it, CAPS believes the elephant used is Anne, a 52-year-old Asian elephant who spends most of the year transported from town to town with the Bobby Roberts Circus. Elderly and arthritic, this poor elephant's life consists of walking into the big top just so that people can have their photo taken alongside her.

Not only is the use of animals in commercials under increasing criticism but the AA have decided to rent the elephant from a circus shortly after a committee of MPs recommended that the government ban the use of wild animals in circuses!

Elephants are one of the most social animals on earth, with females living in large family herds. Anne has no other elephant for company. In the wild, elephants walk up to 17km a day as they search for food and water. They spend their time browsing on vegetation, interacting with family members and wallowing in mud baths. Anne lives in a tent behind the big top.

CAPS is totally opposed to the use of animals in entertainment. Not only does the use of animals in this way cause welfare problems for the individual animals, but it also damages conservation messages aimed at protecting threatened and endangered species.

The AA told CAPS that the elephant appears for just a few seconds in the ad and "was not asked to perform in any way". This is no excuse.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

	Contact the AA and tell them that you find the use of animals in advertising totally unacceptable. Ask them to remove the elephant from the ad and pledge not to use animals in the future.
	If you have insurance with the AA and are considering changing to another company if they do not stop using wild animals do let the AA (and CAPS) know. Recently, the Halifax bank agreed to stop using wild animals in their commercials because so many customers complained and changed accounts to different banks - consumer pressure does work! Contact: Tim Parker Chief Executive, AA Southwood East Appollo Rise Farnborough Hampshire, GU14 0JW Tel: 08705 44 88 66 Cathy Billett AA Road Marketing Email: Cathy.Billett@TheAA.com Tel: 08705 44 88 66
	Become a CAPS supporter - you can help to make a difference.