Influencer DIY tutorials are popular in social media. Even PETA has created one. Of course, it has PETA’s trademark black humour and penchant for the gruesome – and a message about animal welfare. The influencer appears to dismember a crocodile to make the bag.

The point of the post by agency, the community, is that if you don’t want to be directly involved in such abuse, don’t support it by buying these items. The film is supported by a website that walks viewers through the process of How to DIY a Hermès Birkin Bag in 10 Easy Steps. It begins with What You’ll Need: Ruler, pen, stitching awl, needles, screwdriver, knife and plastic floor covering, a 3-year-old crocodile* (You’ll need 2-3 crocodiles to make a larger bag), and the misguided belief that one species is more important than another. And then it gets really shocking:

…and so on.

“No one would want to be caught dead with a Birkin if they had to make one themselves by hacking apart a thinking, feeling being,” stated PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman. “PETA is delighted to work with the community for this twist on a DIY video and hopes fashion lovers everywhere bag the skins and stick to luxurious vegan accessories that no one had to be butchered for.”

“Our feeds are full of creator videos, from try-ons to cooking to DIY and so much more. The idea of flipping the script and having a creator seemingly make a DIY leather bag was the perfect creative solution to telling PETA’s story in an unexpected way,” stated Ricky Vior, SVP, executive creative director at the community. “Our goal with this new campaign was to challenge viewers to question the ethical cost of luxury goods, hopefully forcing a re-evaluation of their relationship with animal products.”