SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., based in Orlando, is mounting a public defense of its animal handling in a new ad campaign that began Monday, “after a highly critical 2013 documentary left the park with declining revenue and attendance”, states a report on CBSDC.
The report added that the print and YouTube campaign focuses on the marine-life theme park’s efforts to care for animals in captivity and in the wild. and revenue and attendance at SeaWorld “have fallen since the release of the documentary “Blackfish,” which examined what led a killer whale to drown a trainer in 2010 at SeaWorld’s Orlando park.”
The print campaign, continued the report, features the company’s top veterinarian saying the animals’ “health and well-being is my priority every day.” The print ads will appear in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times; and in newspapers in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio where SeaWorld has parks.
A television campaign will launch later this spring.
The report also stated that “SeaWorld’s ad campaign is the latest effort by the company to respond to “Blackfish,” which was critical of how killer whales are kept in captivity at the company’s marine parks. The company initially sent out an open letter defending its operations in several newspapers after the documentary’s release and also created a Web site to counter allegations made by animal rights’ activists.
“The tide has turned for SeaWorld,” said Jared Goodman, (director of animal law for PETA, which is based in Norfolk). “It’s a last-ditch effort to sway a public that has already made up its mind.”
“SeaWorld says it has spent $10 million on all its efforts at rehabilitating its reputation.”
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