In the walk-up to Easter this weekend, New Zealand pizza chain Hell Pizza, known for its saucy marketing campaigns, has put up a billboard that has stirred controversy among animal rights activists because it is covered in rabbit pelts.
Boasting the tagline “Made from real rabbit. Like this billboard,” the sign advertises a new pie with “smoked wild NZ rabbit, toasted pine nuts, beetroot & horopito relish, cream cheese, rosemary & garnished with fresh spring onions.”
A debate about the appropriateness of the ad is unfolding on Hell Pizza’s Facebook page, where critics say the sign represents animal cruelty and poor taste in general, with the New Zealand Vegetarian Society calling the sign “deplorable”, while another commenter added, “Excuse me but Easter is a celebration of life. Please explain how your billboard and new pizza shows this?”
The chain posted this clarification on Facebook, defending the billboard’s material by arguing that rabbits are “pests”:
The rabbit pizza ad is Hell Pizza’s latest provocative marketing stunt. In the past, the company has mailed out condoms as part of a promotion for its “Lust” pizza and bought a man’s soul.
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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com