THE LOST ART OF COPYWRITING: Lynx

Lynx.

Not the naff antiperspirant deodorant which only seems to have two fragrances: Africa and the other one.

But the animal rights organisation that radically altered UK public opinion in the 1980s.

If you weren’t around then you’ve probably never heard of them.

But their legacy is huge.

Lynx single-handedly changed people’s attitudes to wearing fur with a visceral, highly creative campaign which took off instantly.

Since then, everybody has used these shock tactics. But back then, there were no dynamic campaigning organisations.

And there were certainly no posters like this.

Lynx were the first to do it.

It first appeared in 1984 and was created by Jeremy Pemberton, art director and Alan Page, copywriter and shot by David Bailey.

In 1985, a TV and cinema commercial took the idea and dramatised it in one of the most shocking pieces of film you’ll ever see. David Bailey was the director and music was by Vangelis.

Building on the success of the poster and video, Linda McCartney shot this poster for Lynx in 1989.

It was this Dumb Animals campaign that persuaded people to change their feelings about fur.

A strong, ground-breaking campaign, but it’s not difficult to see why it attracted plenty of criticism for being sexist.

Images with men wearing fur too would have been just as powerful.