The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the NFL pressured Fox not to air its Colin Kaepernick-inspired advertisement during the Super Bowl.
The 58-second ad features a series of fish, foxes and other fauna “taking a knee” as the national anthem can be heard in the background.
THIS is the PETA #SuperBowl ad the @NFL apparently didn’t want you to see and pressured @FOXSports to snub.
— PETA (@peta) January 31, 2020
It envisions a world where respect is the right of every being and pays homage to Kaepernick and movements rejecting injustice. https://t.co/kD1osnKhuX #EndSpeciesism pic.twitter.com/clXzU79aZV
“Our patriotic Super Bowl spot envisions an America in which no sentient being is oppressed because of how they look, where they were born, who they love, or what species they are. It sends a message of kindness—one that the NFL should embrace, not silence,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.
The cost to run a 30-second Super Bowl ad is up to $5.6 million, The Street reported. The ads before and after the game can cost up to $3 million.
Kaepernick was the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback in 2012, the last time they played in the Super Bowl. Kaepernick started kneeling to protest racial disparity in 2016. He has not played in the NFL since that season.
PETA said Kaepernick has responded positively to the ad.
This is not the first time a PETA advertisement for the Super Bowl did not air.
The NFL and Fox did not comment.
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