 Des Moines, Iowa – January 30, 2007 – Two scientists with Great Ape Trust of Iowa are commending the efforts by CareerBuilder.com to discontinue its television advertising campaign with chimpanzees. Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported the Internet job-search company would retire its chimpanzee ad campaign beginning with a series of TV spots during Super Bowl XLI. The CareerBuilder commercials made their debut during the Super Bowl two years ago.
Dr. Benjamin Beck, director of conservation and Dr. Robert Shumaker, a lead scientist and director of orangutan research at Great Ape Trust, have long advocated the elimination of apes in advertising and entertainment. Both scientists applaud the CareerBuilder.com decision.
"CareerBuilder has made a highly visible decision that will contribute to efforts to improve the quality of life of great apes living in North America," said Beck. "Respect for captive apes and their welfare is key to gaining support for conserving wild apes and their habitats in Africa and Asia."
"All great apes deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The depictions of apes in entertainment misinform and reinforce negative and incorrect stereotypes," added Shumaker. "New information suggests this also reduces the general public's concern for conservation of great apes in the wild."
When the CareerBuilder.com ad campaign began in 2005, Beck and Shumaker collaborated on an article entitled Animals in Advertising. The article disclosed that "cruel and dangerous practices are often used to make living ‘actors’ compliant" in animal advertising and results in distorted public perception of ape behavior, intelligence and conservation. Animals in Advertising is available on Great Ape Trust’s Web site, www.GreatApeTrust.org.
Great Ape Trust Background
When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). |
Great Ape Trust is certified by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums
