PETA’s “My First Lab Animal” is a parody commercial that feels straight out of the 1990s. Directed by Fons Schiedon of Golden LA, this is the fourth time that the filmmaker has joined forces with PETA and its creative director, Christian Carl, to spread messages of compassion towards animals. Previous ventures from this team include the Super Bowl Spot “Don’t Stand For Injustice.”
Complete with a catchy, cheerful jingle, “My First Lab Animal” is “the toy that toys with life.” Blending dark comedy with sitcom-style acting and fully functional toys, this spoof from PETA is as hilarious as it is horrifying. In “My First Lab Animal,” the plasticine glee of 1990s toy commercials is the perfect Trojan Horse for conveying the ever-present horrors of animal testing and experimentation. The grim realities are playfully acted out by a child and her parents having fun with a new toy, drawing out the tension between optimistic earnestness and animal cruelty. Targeting Millennial nostalgia, this film from PETA leans into the generational transition as this demographic largely includes toy-shopping parents. “My First Lab Animal” premiered on Fox News, TV Land, MTV, and Adult Swim.
Schiedon said, “The key to the humor and tension with this film was that we were playing it earnestly. Leaning into the cheesy, sincere 90s toy commercial elements of it—including practical toys—let us bring some of the truly harsher realities of animal testing to life with this important film for PETA. This will hopefully serve as a wake-up call for consumers and the NIH [National Institutes of Health] alike.”
