Just tasteless... fury at missing cat Lotto advert
THE National Lottery was yesterday accused of poor taste for showing an advert that suggested people are more likely to win the lotto than find their missing cat.
The short video featured a woman tearfully putting up a missing poster on a signpost next to a main road as cars whizzed by.
She placed a loving kiss on the photo of her missing six- year- old tabby, George, before walking off as the camera came to rest on the fastmoving cars, suggesting this was how the cat met its fate.
Disgrace
To cheer herself up, the woman then sits down to play the lottery on her phone. A video description then read: “Hoping your missing cat will turn up when you live next to the A202? No chance! But try GameStore for a one in four chance of winning.”
The clip even used a busy road that runs through south London to Croydon where upwards of 50 pets are thought to have fallen victim to the so- called Croydon cat killer. After the advert was put up on Facebook, users attacked lottery operator Camelot.
Julie Wellings said: “Ever seen a cat knocked down and had to try and help it, bleeding and dying in your arms? Clearly not. This ad is a disgrace and I will be complaining to the Advertising Standards Authority.”
Sharron Gardiner said it was “sick” while Treena Greany said: “My cat got run over and killed and I’ve never got over it.” Another wrote: “Poor taste, poor subject and a firm devoid of ideas.”
The advert is one of a series of six made for the internet and social media but will not appear on TV.
Camelot said: “The ad is entirely fictionalised. We are aware that a small number of people are unhappy and we’re really sorry if we have unintentionally caused any offence or distress. We will pass their feedback to the relevant teams.”