On Friday, LUSH erupted with its controversial ‘Fight Against Animal Testing’ campaign video to promote the issue of Animal Testing in the cosmetics industry, urging people to go into its stores and sign the EU petition against animal testing.

The campaign video depicts passers-by’s reactions to a display in Lush’s Regent Street store of a woman undergoing laboratory testing, illustrating what animals experience when new cosmetics products are tested on them. The video also has interviews with Lush members of staff, communicating their support for the ‘Fight Against Animal Testing’ campaign and EU petition. Clearly this is something Lush is extremely passionate about, which is why it’s making such a strong stand against it.

View the clip here: Lush Fighting Animal Testing 

Here’s some responses on the YouTube video and Twitter…

“I care about animal testing, I don’t buy animal tested products. But i am seriously disappointed in Lush – this performance should have been trigger warned.” – channelclaire

“My boyfriend and I have 2 rabbits and are fostering one right now, We’re both in tears watching this. What an AMAZING performance, that woman has such courage to do such a thing. Thank you all for fighting for animal rights. There’s still hope in this world. :)” – kristee2008

Lush attempt to raise awareness of animal testing by performing violence against women. Distasteful. – stavvers

“I always liked Lush. Now I like them even more” – Starkardur

Reactions to the promotional video seem to have really divided people. It’s a shocking and emotive video, designed to move viewers into action – signing the petition in the Lush stores. Lush’s campaign has truly gone viral – it was trending across the UK on twitter, it’s hit a range of news sites and it’s had people from all over the world commenting on its YouTube video. The campaign is proof that online marketing is now the best way to spread the word quickly, creating a huge buzz around a brand or issue.

Lush’s promotional video is a marketing tactic that has undoubtedly communicated one of the key values of the Lush brand – transparency is an essential part of any business. Good on Lush for staying true to what they believe, and campaigning passionately for the cause. But at this level of extremity, where people are even criticising the video for suggesting cruelty to women – is it doing as much harm as good? Are they turning away potential customers and possibly even loyal customers with their bold statement?

It’s a choice that brands have to make – how far do you go to communicate your values? Lush obviously decided that the campaign Fight Against Animal Testing was at the heart of the brand and as a result, decided to create something controversial around the topic. They key is to remember your target audience and communicate your brand values in a way that is most appealing to them. And don’t forget to be consistent when communicating your values – the more consistent you are, the more your audience will associate that value with your brand.

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