Today we are going to relate a distinct kind of Sanfermin story and which is also quite uplifting. The story features a couple of anti-cruelty-to-animal posters which we put up in Pamplona. Given that sensitive topic in this city, they might have been expected to receive some attacks but in fact, the story is quite the opposite case. It all began with the launching of the “CAMPAIGN AGAINST IGNORANCE” whereby the Actyma Association and the Human Dignity Party (PDH) decided to transmit their message in favor of the animals in Pamplona and in other cities where there are important bull-fighting events each year.
The most effective form of publicity was considered to be the OOH and DOOH (outdoor urban publicity with digital nighttime illumination). In this case the posters were set up at two urban bus-stop shelters. Impursa, the Company in charge of managing this kind of publicity, decided to demand an insurance policy from both Actyma and PDH to cover any potential damage, as the subject might provoke some vandal response against the posters. Both posters displayed strong images of real bull fights where it is clear that the animal is suffering. The main slogan on the poster was the message … can this atrocity be justified? The message was written on a background of a Spanish flag and the sentence was written in both English and Spanish. At the bottom of the posters could be seen the signature of Actyma and PDH and a telephone and e-mail contact was also given.
The publicity company even considered taking action against the posters, but, in fact, we can confirm that these posters did not suffer any kind of damage all the while that they were set up in Pamplona. From Actyma we were told about the reaction of the public as many people responded to the telephone number given on the poster. According to what this association tells us, during the whole eight months that the campaign lasted, many people voluntarily took on the job of keeping the posters clean and in good order by washing off any spit marks or writing left by vandals on the posters. Actyma received many calls supporting their cause and they were regularly phoned if the posters needed any renovating after any small vandalism act. This fact has specially heartened the association and they are already busy preparing a new campaign for 2014 for Pamplona and other cities such as Logrono, Benidorm and other cities which hold bull-fights.
The Actyma Association dedicates itself to defending the rights of animals by denouncing violence against the animal and by threatening to take legal action against offenders and it also tries to bring in new laws in relation to animal treatment. One of their main approaches is to bring cases before the Civil Courts when mistreatment is found so as to ensure that the existing laws are complied with for the benefit of the animal. Actyma recently denounced Pamplona City Hall for failing to comply with the regulation of the Running of the Bulls after the pile-up crush of the 13th of July, 2013, as can be read at Sanfermin.com.