CBS Outdoor poll fuels hunting controversy
A recent poll of over 10,000 Londoners has revealed Tube commuters’ opinions on controversial issues such as homelessness, fox hunting, war and battery farming. The most shocking result shows that nearly two thirds of Londoners (64%) believe fox hunting is a birthright, not an act of brutality, which has brought outcry from numerous anti-hunting pressure groups.
The poll, carried out by advertising company CBS Outdoor, asked London Underground commuters to consider opinions of controversial topics. Simple images with provocative questions were displayed on posters across Tube stations encouraging people to vote on the designated website (www.timetoconsider.co.uk). Over the space of a month, 12,500 people voted, some leaving comments, which CBS Outdoor then used to fuel the debate on the digital advertising screens on Tube platforms.
The poll investigated Londoner’s views on four topical issues - war, battery farming, homelessness and fox hunting - the latter being an issue that has divided the nation for 60 years. Of the four topics, fox hunting generated the most vociferous response with over 5,000 votes choosing between ‘birthright or brutality?’
The other polls revealed that a third (33%) of Londoners agreed battery farming is a justifiable cruelty, but only a third (35%) of Londoners felt pity for the capital’s homeless, with two thirds (65%) disagreeing. The war vote was quite evenly split tipping marginally in favour of ‘provocation’ (51%) over ‘deterrence’, when commuters were asked to consider the image of a tank representing global conflict.
Called Time to Consider, the campaign has engaged the nation in debate beyond the Underground and encouraged thousands of commuters to think about the issues long after seeing the posters by commenting on leading social media including, Facebook, Bebo, Digg, Twitter forums and Flickr. Comment has been generated from organisations far and wide, such as the RSPCA, The Hunting Life, British Farming Forum and the League Against Cruel Sports. Numerous websites have seen bloggers voice their opinions on the posters, including various pressure groups such as Animal Right Community online, Falconry Forum, Support Hunting Act UK and even Twitterio (Spanish Twitter).
Concluding last night, the poll’s results have fluctuated considerably over the last month as the capital voted, particularly with the much-debated fox hunting topic, which stood at 80 per cent in favour of birthright halfway through the campaign.
Tim Bleakley, Managing Director Sales and Marketing, CBS Outdoor, comments:
“The Underground is the heart, the veins and the capillaries of the city and this poll reflects how the capital feels on topical issues – it’s the voice of London. There is no better way to connect with the 21 million passenger journeys that commute across the city every week. Passengers have on average three minutes to wait before their next tube, so we thought we’d give them something to really think about.”
For more information, see www.timetoconsider.co.uk where CBS Outdoor has collated the public’s views and votes on the four emotive issues.
Votes broken down by issue
Fox Hunting: 5,080
Battery Chicken Farming: 2,634
War: 2,517
Homelessness: 2,269
Polls as of 20th May, 2009 (please see www.timetoconsider.co.uk for stats)
Fox Hunting: Birthright or Brutality?
64% Birthright
36% Brutality
Battery Chicken Farming: Justifiable Cruelty?
33% Agree
67% Disagree
War: Deterrent or Provocation?
49% Deterrent
51% Provocation
Homelessness: Pity or Pitiful?
65% Pity
35% Pitiful