Oscar award-winning director Taika Waititi just released an emotional animated short. The stop-motion film, which features celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Zac Efron and Olivia Munn, made headlines within 24 hours of its release—but not necessarily for its all-star casting or infamous puppeteer. The headlines all had to do with the film’s producer: Humane Society International.
Save Ralph (tracked on social via #SaveRalph) is a four-minute-long film aimed to support a global campaign to ban animal testing in the cosmetics industry.
The film piggybacks on progress made last winter as an increasing number of U.S. states began considering legislation banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics and as Unilever penned an open letter standing against animal testing in December of 2020. These policies and plans have not been made in a void, as a 2019 SurveyUSA poll shows that nearly 8 out of 10 Americans support a federal policy to end the practice of animal testing in the cosmetics industry.
As the global—and local—conversation gains traction and consumers band together to #SaveRalph, it behooves cosmetics brands of all sizes to get in front of it. As brands like Unilever set a stake in the ground on the matter, any brand that falls behind may face growth disruption as shoppers choose to purchase cruelty-free products. Walking away from animal testing before legislation is put in place will allow brands to be seen as thought leaders on the forefront of an increasingly popular movement. On the other hand, getting caught in the potentially inevitable wake of federal legislation will not only require brands to change their supply chain and go-to-market product testing (costing millions of dollars), but also could create brand perception hurtles that prevent future brand growth and disrupt shopper loyalty.
Contributed by: Susan Parsons, Director of Social Media & Content, Integer Denver
Image Source: Unsplash
