SBI Card withdraws television commercial on PETA's appeal

Ahmedabad, Nov 9 (UNI) SBI Card has withdrawn the ''Golden Egg'' television commercial featuring a chicken in the light of the request put forward by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

PETA India Coordinator (Campaigns and Legal Affairs) N G Jayasimha informed that this is a victory for all the animals who are forced to perform in the name of ''entertainment''.

He said, ''There are many creative and realistic ways to portray animals in the media, including animation, computer-generated images, and other highly advanced technologies.'' PETA, aggrieved by the way the bird was made to perform in the commercial, had requested the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to initiate appropriate action and in response, the AWBI directed that the television commercial be withdrawn.

The advertisement featured a chicken being made to go up on an escalator railing, travel on a motorcycle, being stuffed inside a letter box, thrown on a poolside table so that it appears as if the chicken flew on to the table and was also made to perch on a high pedestal and look down on a model, he added.

UNI