I just got word from our media department that PETA’s latest billboard, which shows a patient in a Japanese hospital who suffered brain damage from mercury that was traced to contaminated fish, along with the tagline “Extreme Case of Mercury Poisoning: How Much Is in Your Fish?” was banned in Providence by all three of the city’s outdoor advertisers. CBS Outdoor Mall sent PETA the following rejection note: “We won’t take anything from PETA that depicts cruelty to animals, blood, disabled children, etc.” That certainly rules out a few of our billboards. The purpose of this particular ad was to warn consumers about the tragic consequences of mercury poisoning from eating fish and direct readers to a website where they can learn some of the following disturbing information:
- Government studies show that eating just one can of tuna per week can increase a person’s mercury level to 30 percent above levels considered safe.
- Mercury is known to cause severe health problems for humans, including brain damage, memory loss, tremors, and damage to a developing fetus.
Feel free to let me know what you think of this one.
