PETA Turns to Emoji for a Seriously Cartoony Take on Animal Abuse

Cruelty to characters

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, well known for its naked celebrity spokespeople and shockvertising, takes a slightly less controversial approach in a new campaign breaking this week.

In video and print ads, PETA tells a story of animal cruelty entirely in emoji, with hammers, hypodermics and handguns making short work of adorable bunnies, monkeys and tigers. Semi-spoiler alert: They turn into skeletons at the end, but there's no actual carnage depicted. Still, it's a PETA ad, so there will be blood, albeit cartoonish this time.

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