SeaWorld (Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake)
SeaWorld has detailed on Monday about an aggressive ad campaign to repair its brand image and let people know about its stand on killer whale treatment.
Previously, a documentary called 'Blackfish' portrayed SeaWorld negatively and criticized the company for ill treatment of its killer whales. The company says that the allegations are baseless.
Apart from the documentary, a book launched recently by former SeaWorld trainer John Hagrove also condemned the captivity of the Orcas.
The company said that the killer whales are, in fact, in better captivity than the wild because SeaWorld takes good care of them. SeaWorld also offers medical treatment and assisted breeding which is an advantage the whales cannot get in the wild.
The ad campaign started on March 23. It includes print, web and TV commercials.
The effort "takes more of the claims that have been leveled against us head on," said SeaWorld senior corporate affairs officer Jill Kermes
The timing of the ads and their utility is of high value to the company. SeaWorld's profitability has been hurt due to negative publicity and public criticism by marine and wildlife conservationists.
Meanwhile, PETA has produced more than 100 press-releases condemning SeaWorld's ill-treatment and captivity of animals. The organization also runs a web campaign that lets people send emails to the company asking to release all animals to sanctuaries, according to USA Today.
SeaWorld has always defended its stand on the issue. It said that, the Orcas in the captivity of the company have lifespan that is equal to the wild animals.
According to Douglas DeMaster, science director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the Orca lifespans are "quite close to what you might see in the wild."
The ad campaign is not a new thing for SeaWorld. The company did the same thing in 2010 and 2013 to clear its stand and showcase how it keeps its animals under tight security and medical care, the Arizona Daily Sun reported.
The response to the campaign has been "overwhelmingly positive," according to SeaWorld spokesman Fred Jacobs.
The company said it has been involved in positive treatment and care of killer whales. The company has donated $10 million to a study on endangered killer whales in the wild.
The effectiveness of its ad campaigns were not statistically proved, though.
