International Fund for Animal Welfare - The Sly Ones

When it comes to hunting, JWT and the International Fund for Animal Welfare want to remind you that it’s not the foxes who are sly.

Philip Mansbridge, UK Regional Director of the IFAW writes:

With fox hunting, it’s not all what it seems, and that’s why today sees the launch of our controversial new advertising campaign. ‘The Sly Ones’ aims to highlight that 10 years since the ban on hunting with hounds, foxes are still being hunted and it’s high time to strengthen the Hunting Act.

Fair enough. But this isn't controversial. Craftily art directed, yes. Subtly engaging, yes. Controversial... not so much. They feel more playful than a serious attempt to villainise those 'nasty sly' foxhunters.

Then again is controversy what we're always looking for? Should ads in this category always feel like they were commissioned by PETA? I hope not.

The IFAW are campaigning for:

• The introduction of a recklessness clause to prevent ‘trail hunting’ from being used as a false alibi.
• The removal of the ‘observation and research’ exemption, which has been abused by stag hunts to avoid prosecution for illegal hunting.
• An increase in the penalty for illegal hunting to include custodial sentences, in line with other wildlife crime legislation.

J. Walter Thompson London