Animals used in advertising, product photography, and marketing face welfare challenges during production. Understanding these and supporting change helps improve conditions for commercial animal actors.
Animals used in advertising face welfare challenges from extended studio sessions under bright lighting, repetitive takes requiring the same behaviour, unfamiliar environments, and the presence of cameras and crew. Training for advertising animals may use food restriction and aversive methods to ensure reliable behaviour on set. Animals that perform the wrong behaviour repeatedly may be punished rather than the session paused for welfare assessment. Social media advertising that features exotic animals — big cats, primates, reptiles — often sources from suppliers with poor welfare credentials. The absence of specific welfare oversight for advertising compared to film sets creates a gap that allows welfare standards to lag.