While many attendees at New York's 2005 Fashion Week were there to spot the latest trends, basketball legend Dennis Rodman had a different mission. At Bryant Park in the heart of the Big Apple, he unveiled a new ad for the animal rights group PETA.
The then-43-year-old was seen shirtless during the launch, mirroring the billboard he was presenting, which featured 'The Worm' fully nude. Below his image, a bold slogan stood out.
"Think Ink, Not Mink: Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin and Let Animals Keep Theirs," it stated .
Raising awareness for animals and the homeless
Back then, 'The Worm' became the first celebrity to pose for the new campaign 'Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur,' launched by PETA, the animal rights organization founded in 1980. Following the Chicago Bulls icon, other stars like Pamela Anderson, Kim Basinger, and Christy Turlington also stripped down for this good cause.
The campaign partly targeted fashion lovers, many of whom were seen at Fashion Week, who enjoyed wearing fur clothing. While that might look stylish, reports say that about 100 million animals die each year to make these garments.
PETA wanted to highlight this issue and raise money to donate "thousands of unwanted fur coats to homeless shelters across the country." When he heard about this, Rodman immediately agreed to take part .
"I am just a soft kind of guy for pretty much a lot of things. I do not like to see things in pain, and I do not like to see things that are suffering for other people's pleasures. Just like with homeless people, I do not like to see when people are going through stuff like that," remarked the 5-time NBA champ.
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'The Worm' was a great fit for the campaign
Interestingly, Anderson was the first to prompt Rodman to think about this serious issue. The New Jersey native had grown up in the 1970s when "people wore fur everywhere," but his mindset changed dramatically after watching the three-minute video produced by the former Playmate.
"It gives you a different perspective on animals and how they are treated, and you have that sense of urgency, in the senseof, wow, I want to help these animals now. It is heart-wrenching to see what they go through," said Dennis.
The Hall of Famer was truly the ideal choice for the campaign. For starters, he had and still has a multitude of tattoos, getting his first one—a heart—in 1988 to celebrate the birth of his daughter. Additionally, he evidently had a genuine love for both animals and the homeless. Plus, 'The Worm' was never shy about showing off his body. In fact, the former 6'6" forward once planned to finish his last game naked, saying, 'I'll walk off the court and take off one piece of clothing with every step .'"
While that specific plan didn't materialize, Rodman could at least show himself in the nude by supporting PETA. The advertisement eventually appeared not just in New York City but also in Hollywood, California.
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