NZ Pizza Chain Plasters Billboard with Real Rabbit Pelts

Today in collective internet freak-outs: A New Zealand pizza chain has drawn major online attention for erecting a billboard covered in "hundreds" of real rabbit skins. Wellington, NZ's Hell Pizza decided to advertise its Easter special — a smoked rabbit pizza with pine nuts, cream cheese, and rosemary — with a pelt-covered billboard proclaiming the pizza was "Made from real rabbit. Like this billboard." According to Hell Pizza, the skins were obtained from "a professional animal tanning company, who in turn sourced them from local meat processing companies where the skins are a regular by-product."

But the backlash continues, and Hell Pizza has been posting a series of Facebook updates advocating for the use of rabbit meat. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its name, Hell Pizza is no stranger to controversy: In 2011, the pizzeria drew criticism for a billboard that described a hot cross buns dessert as available "For a limited time. A bit like Jesus."

· Billboard Made with Rabbits Advertises Pizza [Adweek]
· All Scandal Coverage on Eater [-E-]