PETA Releases Leather Blood Bath Video That Has People Swearing Off Animal Skins

London – PETA and Samy Alliance have released a powerful new video that asks viewers to open their eyes to the cruelty of the leather industry. The video, which the group also shared directly with designer Victoria Beckham following their disruption of her Paris Fashion Week show, depicts a blindfolded woman celebrating her birthday by repeatedly striking a cow-shaped piñata with a baseball bat. As the intensity of the blows increase, the cow’s head becomes bloody and finally cracks open, sending a slew of intestines and blood-soaked leather accessories, such as shoes and bags, cascading to the floor. On-screen text over the clearly disgusted protagonist reads, “Don’t be part of the blood bath. Wear vegan.”

The spot was created by global integrated marketing agency Samy Alliance with creative direction from Santiago Lucero. It was directed by M&M (Martin Jalfen and Mike Usandivaras) and produced by ROMA Productions.

“Leather is just hairless fur, and people need to wake up to the fact that this is an industry defined by animal suffering,” says PETA Vice President Mimi Bekhechi. “We urge everyone to choose sustainable vegan materials that leave animals in peace.”

“The intention was to portray the occasion of the piñata as one filled with innocence but, at the same time, with violence and cruelty to reflect the lack of awareness that exists when it comes to leather production. With Piñata, our goal is not only to inform but also to inspire a shift in the fashion industry towards more ethical and sustainable practices. We hope to help consumers open their eyes and become aware of the impact of their purchasing decisions,” says Samy Alliance Creative Director Santiago Lucero.

Over 1 billion animals are slaughtered globally every year for leather. In India, cows’ tails are routinely broken, and irritants like tobacco and chillis are rubbed in their eyes to force them to trek up to 60 miles to the slaughterhouse. In China, dogs and cats are also killed for their skin, which is often mislabelled and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

With consumer demand for animal- and planet-friendly materials on the rise, more and more designers are moving away from animal skins and opting to use plant leathers made from cacti, mushrooms, and fruits. Mirum, a premium plastic-free vegan leather made using natural rubber, requires no tanning and no water during manufacture.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram.

Contact:

Sascha Camilli +44 (0) 20 7923 6244; [email protected]

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Credits

Name of film: Piñata

Client: PETA

Agency: Samy Alliance

Production company: ROMA Productions

Creative director: Santiago Lucero

Script: Santiago Lucero and M&M (Martin Jalfen & Mike Usandivaras)

Director: M&M (Martin Jalfen & Mike Usandivaras)

Director of photography: Michal Babinec

Assistant director: Diego Núñez

Executive producer: Juan Bascon

Head of production: Carlos Martin

Production manager: Yago López Abril

Production assistant: Rocío Martinez

Art director: Andrea Gandarillas

Stylist: Bea Domínguez

Make-up artist: Daniel Zuñiga

Head of postproduction: Tamara Diaz

VFX: Metropolitana

Colour: Marc Morató

Sound mix: Beat Music

Music: Ombu

Editor: Giacomo Prestinari