In its latest effort to combat negative perceptions about
its treatment of marine animals, SeaWorld Entertainment on Tuesday kicked off a
national advertising campaign spotlighting the company’s commitment to its
killer whales. The ad began airing Tuesday on network and cable television as
well as online.
The new ad features Lara Croft, a veterinarian at SeaWorld Orlando, and Pedro Ramos-Navarrete, a senior member of the park’s animal rescue
team, providing information about the lifespan and origin of killer whales, and
emphasizes the emotional and personal aspects of caring for killer whales.
The national ad campaign comes as SeaWorld battles negative
publicity about its killer whale program, largely spurred by the 2013
documentary “Blackfish” that aired on CNN and that took a critical look at
SeaWorld’s killer whale program.
Since then, SeaWorld has come under fire from
animal rights groups. The company said the new ad is intended to be a direct
response to campaigns that target SeaWorld, including by groups such as the
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), one of the harshest critics
of SeaWorld’s practices.
“This campaign sets the record straight and ensures that the
public has access to the facts about the company,” SeaWorld said in a
statement.
The launch of the new campaign also marks a new era of
leadership at SeaWorld. Joel Manby, former president and CEO of Herschend
Family Entertainment, officially moved into his new role as president and CEO
of SeaWorld on Tuesday.
In January, former SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchison stepped down
amid a period of declining park attendance, net income and revenue at the theme
park company.
SeaWorld’s new killer whale campaign will run in concert
with the company’s “Meet the Animals” campaign, a marketing
initiative that puts a focus on patrons making up-close and personal
connections with marine life at the SeaWorld theme parks.
SeaWorld has also introduced a national reputation campaign,
the centerpiece of which is a website, AskSeaWorld.com, that aims to answer questions
about how the company cares for its animals. Questions, usually submitted via
Twitter and Facebook, are also answered on SeaWorld's YouTube channel, and on
the websites SeaWorldCares.com and SeaWorld.com/Truth.