It goes without saying that the mission behind PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a good and just cause. Much of its promotional material, including its website, is educational and very effective in tugging at your heartstrings. However when it comes to shock value, I think they've missed their mark...

There was a story on CNN today about a woman who recently responded to an ad in Dog Fancy Magazine that read:

"Just bought a brand-new purebred puppy? Welcome him or her into your home with a free gift bag! Call us today at 1-866-834-6061 to claim your bag and hear about our products."

When the package arrived in the mail she was disgusted to find a black body bag representing the shelter dog she killed when she decided to purchase one, rather than saving one. In PETA's defense, I called the number myself and it clearly stated that if you wanted to receive the free body bag representing the dog you just killed to leave your name and address after the tone. I guess she didn't hear that part...

PETA's blog talks about the promo and pushes a video about the concept.

Campaign B: This past February, PETA caged a pregnant naked woman in the UK's Covent Garden with signs saying "Unhappy Mothers' Day for Pigs. Go vegetarian."

Sure, both of these are very creative, out of the box campaigns - but they're so shocking and crude that they're portraying themselves as a radical organization of extremists making it harder for people to relate.

Did witnesses conform to vegetarians after seeing the caged pregnant woman? Probably not. Will the disturbed woman purchase her next animal from a shelter 15 years down the road? Maybe. But for now she's just offended and completely turned off.