PepsiCo, Travis Kelce Nab PETA’s Praise for NFL Ad as Company Confirms Use of CGI Tigers

For Immediate Release:
October 8, 2024

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Purchase, N.Y. –

A “Tech, Not Terror” Award is on its way to PepsiCo, as the company just confirmed to PETA that it used only cutting-edge computer-generated imagery (CGI) instead of real tigers for its blockbuster commercial starring Megan Thee Stallion and Travis Kelce—which kicked off the 2024 NFL season. PETA is sending vegan, tiger-shaped chocolates to the Kansas City Chiefs star for his realistic yet animal-friendly performance.

“While the commercial may be set in the Roman Empire, Pepsi proved that it’s not stuck in the past by opting to create realistic CGI tigers instead of dragging abused animals onto sets,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA applauds PepsiCo for recognizing that forcing captive tigers to perform would have been as archaic and cruel as holding a real gladiator match.”

When used for film, television, and advertising, tigers and other wild animals are routinely separated from their mothers prematurely, which denies them the maternal care that they need for normal development and results in extreme psychological distress. PETA investigations and law-enforcement probes into animal suppliers for the entertainment industry have revealed that animals are kept in deplorable conditions and abused in other ways. For instance, an animal trainer for the film Life of Pi was caught on video viciously whipping a tiger 20 times in a row during a training session. Wild animals’ complex needs can never be met on sets or at training compounds, which is why responsible companies today are choosing humane technology, such as CGI.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.