Beware the Octocurse

Animal rights charity PETA is using parody and dark humour to urge people to stop eating octopus and alert them to the serious issue of octopus farming in a campaign created by Grey London.

Octopuses, largely considered to be the most intelligent of molluscs, and dubbed ‘Einsteins of the Sea’, are under threat from octopus farms. These cruel farms will cram the cephalopods into tiny tanks before they are killed in inhumane ways.

Directed by leading international comedy director Jeff Low, the film highlights the amazing characteristics of octopuses and raises awareness of a petition to block the development of the first octopus farm in Europe. It marks the first time Grey has worked with PETA.

The 90” spot, called ‘Peta Presents: The Octocurse’ emulates a science-fiction series from the 1970s and opens with the line ‘It is said that if you eat octopus, you will be cursed,’ before showing the awful things that people risk happening to them if they eat octopus. These include having three beating hearts, blue blood, displaying extreme emotion, having a head that expands to octopus’ proportions, having the power to expel ink and growing octopus eyes. It ends with the message: ‘Octopuses are extremely intelligent, sensitive creatures. If you eat them you’re basically a cannibal. Stay human. Don’t eat octopus’.