Just when you thought fur coats were finally going out of fashion forever…

All it took was a brief coin toss on screen to undo years of animal rights organizations’ work to educate people about the fur industry.

According to The Detroit News, fur coat stores are booming with customers who want a replica of former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath’s fur coat worn at Superbowl XLVIII.

“It has driven people to our showroom,” said Clay Campbell, who owns Wolverine Furs in Detroit and also reported a 20 percent increase in traffic to his website. “(Customers) are taking the time to find out more about what they saw on the screen, so it has been a positive for us.”

Other stores in the area have also reported a similar increase in sales and customer visits since the Seahawks and Broncos game aired on February 2nd nationwide despite backlash from activists as soon as Namath’s $3,000 coyote and white fox-trimmed coat appeared on screen.

“No matter what he spent on that eyesore, the animals who were trapped, bludgeoned, electrocuted, or skinned alive for their fur paid a lot more — the ultimate price, in fact — and viewers across the country agree that it was too high a price, as demonstrated by the outpouring of anti-fur messages that hit Twitter the second that Namath’s coat hit the screen,” said PETA, one of the most recognized anti-fur and animal rights groups in the world in a statement.

Actor and activist Ian Somerhalder responded to Namath’s wardrobe by tweeting his followers a link to remind people that due to its cruelty, furs are being dropped from stores’ inventory. QVC and Land’s End are some of the major retailers who have stopped selling any items with fur in them after watching PETA’s video on how the fur industry operates. Hopefully more people in the Detroit will take the time to watch it too. – Natalia Galbetti

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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image: The NY Post

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