GBGB PRESS RELEASE – ADVERTISING COMPLAINTS

The GBGB is pleased that the Advertising Standards Authority has found in its favour over a complaint it made against Action for Greyhounds for its cinema advert “Where have all the greyhounds gone.”

The advert was shown in cinemas last summer and contained the claim that “Every year, many thousands of greyhounds are bred to meet the demand generated by the British racing industry. Only half the greyhounds bred make it to the track”. There was text in the advert asking, “where have all the greyhounds gone?” while a voiceover said: “thousands disappear and are untraceable.”

The ASA investigations panel found that the advert breached the Code of Advertising Practice Rules 3.1 (misleading adverting) and 3.7 (substantiation) and faced with a Ruling from the ASA Council, Action for Greyhounds provided written assurances that it would not repeat the claims or seek to run the advert again.

GBGB Media and Communications Officer Simon Banks said” While it is a pleasing result, it is a bit late in the day and the damage has been done. However, it means that the advert will never been shown again. The Cinema Advertising Association has told us that it will look very closely at similar advertising in the future.”

Banks added that a complaint had been lodged with ASA about a recent billboard campaign by Caged Nationwide featuring the slogan “You bet, they die” and that the GBGB would use all the legal and regulatory methods available to it to counter the stream of lies and fake news peddled by anti-greyhound racing groups.