--- description: Controversial New Zealand billboard for rabbit pizza is made out of dead rabbits. title: This Billboard for Rabbit Pizza Is Made from Dead Rabbits image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Billboard for Rabbit Pizza Is Made from Dead Rabbits  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Apr 15, 2014 7:45 PM CUT  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Apr 15, 2014 7:45 PM CUT 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](https://www.facebook.com/hellpizza "undefined"), where critics say the sign represents animal cruelty and poor taste in general, with the [New Zealand Vegetarian Society](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152286055027225&set=a.119635667224.90799.43522837224&type=1&comment%5Fid=11649737&offset=0&total%5Fcomments=473 "undefined") 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](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c%5Fid=1&objectid=10408899 "undefined") as part of a promotion for its “Lust” pizza and [bought](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/03/hell-pizza-walter-scott-2%5Fn%5F110687.html "undefined") a man’s soul. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/63363/this-billboard-for-rabbit-pizza-is-made-from-dead-rabbits/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/63363/this-billboard-for-rabbit-pizza-is-made-from-dead-rabbits/"},"headline":"This Billboard for Rabbit Pizza Is Made from Dead Rabbits","datePublished":"2014-04-15T19:45:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:08:48.601Z","description":"A hare-raising stunt","url":"https://time.com/63363/this-billboard-for-rabbit-pizza-is-made-from-dead-rabbits/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Food & Drink"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. Waxman","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/63363/this-billboard-for-rabbit-pizza-is-made-from-dead-rabbits/","name":"This Billboard for Rabbit Pizza Is Made from Dead Rabbits"}}]}] ```