ANIMAL welfare groups have demanded American Express drop its latest television advertisement, claiming it promotes the consumption of shark's fin.
The advertisement, which went on air on February 26, equates the status of eating shark's fin with that of being an American Express cardholder.
It was roundly condemned by prominent animal rights organisations who described methods used in fishing for the fins as brutal.
The commercial opens with a shot of sharks swimming and a voice-over saying: 'If I fell into the sea, the sharks would probably swim further away because I've eaten so much shark's fin.' The next scene features the owner of the Sun Tung Lok shark's fin restaurant, Patrick Yuen, boasting about the quality of service and the availability of shark's fin, amid scenes of the harbour and a woman spooning soup into a man's mouth.
The commercial, written by advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather, also says: 'American Express has the same status as shark's fin.' It is screening on ATV and TVB's English and Chinese channels. Both stations say they have received no complaints about the commercial, which will run for another three months.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), EarthCare and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), have joined to condemn the advertisement, describing it as 'shocking'.
