Batteries meet bunny birth control
In one of the oddest public-relations efforts to emerge in recent memory, Panasonic is rallying behind the cause of bunny neutering--yes, bunny neutering--to promote its Oxyride Extreme Power batteries.
"When you think bunnies and batteries, you picture a bunny with a drum," reads the Panasonic e-mail pitch for the company's new "Neuter your Bunny" campaign. "Those days are over. Panasonic's Oxyride Extreme Power batteries significantly outperform Energizer Max and its alkaline companions in digital cameras."
In celebration of this performance milestone (stick with us for a moment here), Panasonic is kicking off a campaign to build awareness for the health benefits of neutering pet bunnies while simultaneously touting the performance benefits of using Oxyride batteries. The batteries, which came out last year, are designed for "high-drain" devices such as digital cameras and MP3 players; Panasonic says they last twice as long as traditional alkaline batteries.
Still don't get the battery/bunny birth control connection? "Many people are unaware of the benefits of Panasonic Oxyride batteries, just like many bunny owners are unaware of the benefits of neutering or spaying," reads the newly launched Neuter Your Bunny Web site, which features a "Why Neuter" tab next to a "Why Oxyride" tab. The former page elucidates the benefits, beyond population control, of neutering rabbits (neutered males are calmer and less prone to destruction, it says, while spaying female rabbits eliminates the risk of reproductive cancers). The latter page goes on to explain how Oxyride batteries outperformed alkaline competitors in digital cameras.
But back to bunny neutering. Panasonic says it will honor its battery successes with a donation to the House Rabbit Society, a nonprofit that educates the public on rabbit care and behavior. Ah, how we would have loved to have been in the room when this product crusade was born.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
