Voiced by British actor Jane Horrocks, known for starring in Absolutely Fabulous, Tessa sings about the odd traditions she witnesses around a neighbourhood to the tune of “Deck the Halls.” She remarks on kids writing letters to “men with beards” and people kissing under mistletoe.

When Tessa is caught and taken to a spooky looking building, she keeps singing with increasing concern and confusion. “What’s the fate that now awaits me?” she sings, as she is shackled alongside many fellow turkeys. “A tradition of such cruelty,” is her final line before the audience sees her turn her head and realize what’s coming.

The ad ends with the words, “Kill the tradition not a turkey. Try vegan this Christmas.”

“I’m proud to be giving a voice to Tessa, a curious little turkey who questions why millions of birds are killed for the Christmas table each year when so many other options exist,” Horrocks, who has done voice work for films including Chicken Run and Corpse Bride, said in a statement. 

“I hope the spot encourages kind souls everywhere to explore vegan dishes that offer some peace on Earth to animals this festive season.”

Millions die for Christmas

Every year, around nine million turkeys are killed in the UK at Christmas time. Most of them will have been kept in intensive indoor farming systems, with up the 25,000 birds in a single barn. They are unable to perform natural behaviors and have very little space to themselves.

Buying turkeys from free-range “high welfare” farms will not guarantee the birds had a good life or death. “Labels like ‘free-range’ and ‘high welfare’ are typically designed to make consumers feel better, not to help animals,” PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen told Plant Based News (PBN).

“Although animals on these farms may be treated in ways that are marginally less cruel than at other facilities, they’re often still mutilated without painkillers, artificially inseminated, kept in crowded conditions, robbed of their beloved offspring, and sent to the very same abattoirs used by the suppliers deemed to have the lowest welfare standards. There, animals are hung upside down and their throats are cut, sometimes while they’re still conscious.”

Investigations show reality of turkey farming

Undercover investigations have shown the reality of lives for many turkeys on farms in Britain. In 2019, a farm supplying Sainsbury’s lost its Red Tractor certification following a Viva! investigation. Footage showed sick and injured birds left to die in overcrowded sheds with sore open wounds. Workers were seen “brutally killing birds with an inhumane neck crushing device.”

Another Viva! investigation in 2021 showed turkeys at another farm with injuries, including one bleeding from the head, and living amongst dead carcasses.

In 2019, Animal Justice Project (AJP) exposed the cruel treatment of turkeys in a Northamptonshire “high welfare” on-farm slaughterhouse. Footage showed free-range Christmas turkeys panicking while having their feathers roughly plucked out. Chickens were also seen being dunked in scalding hot water tanks while still flapping and struggling. AJP said it identified several breaches of welfare legislation.

‘A gentle, curious bird’

“People often connect with individual animals, so we created Tessa, a gentle, curious bird who – like all turkeys – doesn’t deserve to be slaughtered for a meal,” Allen told PBN.

“Hundreds of thousands of people – and counting – have watched Tessa’s story online, and many have told us that they’ve been so moved by it that they have sworn off eating turkeys and other animals this Christmas,” Allen said of the new ad.

Tessa’s story is PETA’s second Christmas ad. In 2022, it released an animated video about Toby the Turkey, a young turkey whose dad kicked him out of a slaughterhouse-bound truck to save his life. A vegan family rescues Toby and raises him as one of them. 

Tessa’s story will play in cinemas nationwide throughout December.

More like this:

• ‘Christspiracy’: The New Documentary From The Co-Creator Of ‘Cowspiracy’
• UK Vegans Can Buy An Entire Plant-Based Turkey This Christmas – Where To Get It
• The 7 Best Vegan Turkey Roasts You Can Buy, Plus 3 You Just Have to Make

The post Jane Horrocks Stars In New Ad Depicting Cruelty Of ‘Christmas Turkeys’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

That is despite extensive research showing that a plant-based food system is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The authors analyzed the cooking sections of eight major news outlets to check whether their recipes were as climate-conscious as their reporting. They found that of the top four UK-based outlets and top four US-based outlets with responsible climate reporting, five have recipe sections dominated by meat-based recipes.

Claire Hamlett, co-author on the report, said: “Despite the strong evidence that dietary change is a key way for individuals and nations to reduce their climate impact, many media outlets are still supporting the status quo of high meat consumption with their choice of recipes.”

More than half of recipes still meat-based

Published by the Better Food Foundation and Sentient Media, the report highlights the gap between climate news and recipe suggestions.

The researchers used a script to select around 100 recent recipes from eight media outlets. This script categorized recipes as omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan. The categorizations were then manually checked to confirm accuracy.

The US outlets had an average of 53.6 percent omnivorous recipes. Vegetarian dishes made up 26.2 percent of recipes, while 20.2 percent were vegan.

Likewise, in the UK, there were 60.6 percent omnivorous, 27.9 percent vegetarian, and 11.6 percent vegan recipes.

Only the Washington Post, the Guardian, and Yahoo News had fewer than half of their recipes categorized as “omnivorous.”

Impact of animal agriculture still too easily ignored

The report follows an investigation earlier this year by Faunalytics and Sentient Media, which found that only seven percent of climate articles mentioned animal agriculture.

This is despite animal agriculture being one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The United Nations has stated repeatedly that the world needs to reduce meat consumption to fight climate change and improve food security.

Indeed, climate scientists consistently agree that a widespread shift towards plant-forward diets is one of the key solutions to the climate crisis.

Simple nudges to align recipes with climate science

Making more recipes plant based would be a simple but significant shift. The report points to five “behavioral nudges” that recipe sections could take:

1. Maintain a ratio of at least 2-to-1 for plant-based versus animal-based recipes

2. Present plant-based options first, by default

3. Make editors’ picks or seasonal recommendations plant-based by default

4. Swap out animal-based ingredients for plant-based ingredients in popular recipes

5. Add a climate score to each recipe based on the emissions intensity of the ingredients, and present climate-friendly options first

Easy to replace dairy with plant-based alternatives

The report highlights that swapping meat for vegetarian recipes would not go far enough to tackle the climate crisis.

Studies have shown that the dairy industry contributes some 3.4 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. That means that dairy is responsible for as much as the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

The BBC is one media outlet that has reported this fact. Yet it continues to create recipes featuring dairy products where simple plant-based switches could be made.

Differences between the UK and US

In total, the UK and US outlets had more than half meat recipes. However, some outlets have made more progress than others.

For example, the Guardian updated its style guide in 2019 to report more accurately on the climate crisis. Since then, it has also seen a shift in the focus towards more plant-based recipes.

In contrast, the New York Times produces high-quality climate journalism but has so far failed to prioritize vegan recipes.

Commenting on the discrepancy, Hamlett said: “The Guardian has demonstrated how media outlets can align their recipe sections with the climate science. Outlets like the New York Times could easily follow suit and show their readers how easy it is to choose plant-based first.”

More like this:

• Study Finds 93 Percent Of Climate News Fails To Mention Animal Agriculture
• Denmark Unveils ‘Groundbreaking’ Plant-Based Food Roadmap
• Vegan Food Should Be Cheaper And More Accessible, Say UK Climate Advisers

The post Meat Recipes Still Dominate ‘Climate Conscious’ Media Outlets, Study Finds appeared first on Plant Based News.

The parody ad comes from UK-based animal advocacy organization Viva!. Dubbed New From Killer Yoghurts, the advert depicts a woman eating fake offal and blood from a corner-style yogurt packet. 

Throughout the ad, which was shown on Facebook and Instagram, a voiceover states: “New from Killer Yoghurts – the umbilical cord flavor. Produced with only the finest ingredients, the stolen milk of grieving mothers. Taste the torment in every mouthful. Blended with brutality. Be complicit, with Killer Yoghurts.”

The ad goes on to show footage from Viva!’s recent zero grazing investigation, which exposed the rise of dairy factory farming in the UK. It explains that cows have their babies stolen from them hours after birth so that humans can take their milk. 

The ASA bans the ad

According to Viva!, the ad was seen by more than three and a half million people, but was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority despite receiving just seven complaints. It was banned for two reasons. Firstly, that it was likely to cause unnecessary distress and serious and widespread offence. Secondly, that it was irresponsibly targeted because it had been seen by children. Viva! denies both of these claims. It also claims that it paid for the advert to be shown to an 18+ audience. 

“Adverts for meat and dairy products that falsely show farmed animals living in idyll are allowed to be shown despite them portraying staggeringly fake realities,” Viva! Founder Juliet Gellatley said in a statement. “People see far more shocking images on TV, films and computer games all the time – in today’s world our ad is not deeply distressing!”

The advert ban has received extensive media coverage from major mainstream media organizations, meaning it will likely have been seen by many more people than intended. “The irony of our killer ad being banned is that global media are now showing it,” Gellatley wrote on LinkedIn. “There’s a link in the biggest online paper in the world to the banned video! It’s literally gone worldwide.”

Dairy farming in the UK

In the UK, dairy farming often has an idyllic image, with advertisements and storybooks often portraying friendly farmers looking after cows in fields. The reality, however, is very different to what many may expect. 

There are thought to be just under two million “dairy cows” in the UK. In order to produce milk, each cow must first give birth. Their calf will be taken from them within just a few hours after being born, and cows will often bellow and cry out for them for days afterwards. If the calf is female, they will likely be raised for dairy. If they are male, they may be killed or sold to the veal industry. Cows have been selectively bred to produce far more milk than they naturally would, which takes a huge toll on their bodies. Conditions like lameness and mastitis are common on dairy farms. When they stop producing enough milk, cows will be sent to the slaughterhouse. 

While most cows raised for dairy are allowed to graze some of the time, intensive “zero-grazing” systems are on the rise in the UK. Earlier this year, Viva! released an investigation of these farms, stating that around 20 percent of dairy cows are raised in them. Animals raised on these systems are never allowed outside, and they are also at increased risk of illness and infection. 

“For the first time ever, the British dairy industry’s secret shift towards zero grazing is out in the open,” Gellatley, told Plant Based News (PBN) at the time. “Viva!’s latest exposé uncovers the harsh conditions on zero-grazing dairy farms supplying giants like Müller and Arla, where dairy mothers will never roam freely in nature as they evolved to do; instead, they are bored out of their minds and waste away inside the four walls of their iron prison.”

More like this:

• Vegan Advert That Attracted Hundreds Of Complaints Could Return To TV
• Billboard Campaign Compares Slaughterhouse Stats With Lives Lost In WW2
• Controversial London Billboards Of A Woman Being ‘Milked’ Take Aim At Speciesism

The post A Vegan Ad Was Banned For Causing ‘Unnecessary Distress’ – Now It’s Been Seen By Millions appeared first on Plant Based News.

The design features artwork of farmed animals like cows and sheep alongside the words: “Every 30 minutes, we take as many lives as the Second World War took in 6 years. Which part of this makes you angry?” The bottom of the billboard states that 70 billion land animals, plus more than a trillion sea animals, are killed for food each year. 

The billboards come from Gen V, the vegan organization behind the January 2023 London Underground ads that urged the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to go vegan. One ad used in the Sunak campaign featured the same WW2 theme, prompting thousands of comments and discussion on Reddit at the time. 

‘A bold and provocative statement’

“Generation Vegan is always looking for creative ways to highlight just how much devastation the animal agriculture industry causes, whether that is to the environment, to people, or — in this case — to animals,” Gen V CEO Naomi Hallum said in a statement. “We recognise that this billboard features a bold and provocative statement but nonetheless it is true.”

The billboards are on show at Liverpool Lime Street Station and Manchester Printworks until September 7. The design is also being featured on the wall art at 100 Mare Street in Hackney in east London until September 30. It will be on the giant digital screen at Leicester Square, London, from September 8-10. 

The reality of UK animal agriculture

There is a tendency in the UK for the public to view animal farming through rose tinted glasses. This feeling is exacerbated by the government and meat industry, both of whom regularly boast about “world-leading” animal welfare. 

The reality of the industry, however, may shock people. Around 85 percent of land animals are raised on factory farms, where they are subjected to unnatural and often torturous conditions. 

Animals are kept in cages, subjected to mutilations, and have their babies taken from them. They are then killed in the slaughterhouse. Pigs, for example, will be kept in a cage called a “farrowing crate” for up to six weeks after giving birth. Her piglets will suckle from an area next to her known as “the creep,” but she will not be able to access her babies. The cage doesn’t offer her any room to turn around. Piglets will have their tails cut off and teeth clipped without any pain relief. This is to stop them biting and injuring each other due to stress. At the slaughterhouse, they will often be killed with a high concentration of CO2 gas, which is highly aversive. The gas forms an acid on every wet surface it touches, including their lungs, throats, and eyes. Experts have stated that they “burn from the inside out.”

Mega farms keeping hundreds of thousands – and sometimes more than a million – animals at a time are on the rise in the UK. A Guardian report last year found that there are more than 1,000 of these in the country. In England, the number of these farms increased from 818 in 2016 to 944 in 2020. Most are for chickens, but many are for pigs. Cow factory farming is also on the rise in the country. 

More like this:

• Controversial London Billboards Of A Woman Being ‘Milked’ Take Aim At Speciesism
• New AI Billboards Address Why You Aren’t Used To Seeing Senior Farm Animals
• Controversial Anti-Dairy Billboard Associates Milk With Serial Killers

The post Billboard Campaign Compares Slaughterhouse Stats With Lives Lost In WW2 appeared first on Plant Based News.

Shieff ditched his plant-based diet in 2019 over concerns it was negatively impacting his health. The freerunner was previously a big name in the vegan community, as his athletic ability shut down stereotypes that humans need meat to be healthy and strong.

The media, which often showcases anti-vegan sentiment, therefore appeared to jump at the chance to promote his belief that plant-based diets actually harmed his health. Shieff spoke to ITV daytime show This Morning about veganism making him “sick,” and told The Times that killing an animal was the “next step” in his omnivorous journey. 

Tim Shieff apologizes

In a new YouTube video, titled An Apology for My Denouncement of Veganism, Shieff said he was wrong in his view that veganism affected his health. Instead, he believes that his health problems were due to unresolved issues from his childhood and the physical effect they were having on his body. 

“I tried to solve everything by changing what I was putting into my body, and when it didn’t work, I tried to blame the things that I was inputting,” he said. “What I had never considered was how my emotional state was affecting my body, my organs, and limiting its ability to digest food and absorb nutrients.

“In the same way we all know stress affects the body’s ability to function. I have a lot of unhealed emotions from my childhood that I didn’t realize were still there,” Shieff said. “I have tried to let go of, but letting go simply didn’t work.”

‘The Divine Truth’

He explained that he has discovered the power of Divine Truth, a religious movement based in Queensland, Australia. He said this organization has offered him “perspective on battles with diet and health, that no one else had given me up until that point.”

Shieff finished the video by saying: “I can now see a way that veganism is possible for me, and others, and that if veganism didn’t appear to work for me, then it may very well have been my issue with an emotional cause, and not the diet’s issue. So with that said, I would like to publicly apologize for my denouncement of veganism.”

He continued: “I’d like to thank the teachings of Divine Truth… for helping me to start to see myself and the true creation of my pain with much more clarity. And for a path to heal it on. I’d like to thank God for designing a loving world with the opportunity to do so.”

Support for Tim Shieff

A number of viewers have offered words of support to Shieff for his admission and apology. 

“You predominantly got me into veganism, it’s been seven years now,” wrote one. “You may have said some wayward things and followed some unconventional pursuits, and as an atheist myself I’m unable to relate to your beliefs – but I have and always will see you as a good person. Whatever path you follow, I’m forever grateful to you dude and wish you all the best.”

Another added that he was “one of the most honest and genuine guys on social media.”

Watch Plant Based News’ video on ex-vegans below:

The post Athlete Tim Shieff Apologizes For Denouncing Veganism appeared first on Plant Based News.

Plaza posted the ad on her Instagram page in April 2023. It saw the White Lotus actor claim to have invented a new milk made from trees. The supposedly humorous commercial appeared to be a dig at plant-based milks. At the end of the clip, Aubrey proclaimed that “only real milk is real.”

Many of her followers expressed disappointment in the ad. It came at a time when there is growing awareness of the ethical, environmental, and health costs of dairy milk. Plaza turned off the comments on the post after the backlash.

USDA funds helped create the ad. It comes from the Got Milk? campaign, where high profile celebrities are paid to promote fluid dairy milk.

Did the wood milk advert violate federal law?

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a complaint with the USDA’s inspector general, accusing the ad of violating two federal laws. The committee is a nonprofit animal rights and health group that promotes preventative medicine.

PCRM cited a law that prohibits USDA-backed adverts from disparaging other agricultural products. In addition, commercials should also not influence government action or policy. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is currently calling for the public to offer opinions on guidelines for plant-based milk labels.

According to the complaint, the Wood Milk ad was created to drum up “backlash” against dairy-free alternatives. “This conduct unabashedly violates the legal guardrails that exist to prevent USDA from promoting one commodity to the detriment of others,” the complaint reads.

Plant Based News contacted the USDA for comment. A spokesperson said that they do not comment on ongoing litigation.

The post Aubrey Plaza’s ‘Wood Milk’ Advert Accused Of Violating Federal Law appeared first on Plant Based News.

Marketers love to showcase “innovative” and “groundbreaking” new solutions to marketing. The reason why I admire La Vie is that it isn’t doing that. It’s being humble in the face of decades upon decades of consumer research. It isn’t trying to reinvent the marketing wheel; it’s following a proven method.

I’ve written before on the topic of product innovation within the vegan space. La Vie makes unbelievably good vegan bacon. But whilst the product is fantastic, its marketing strategy is equally brilliant.

You see, what’s great about entering the retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is that we know the recipe for success. It’s one that has already been concocted. It’s been recreated thousands upon thousands of times, with little variation by many brands before. The main ingredient for that recipe is summed up in one word: availability.

Physical availability

First up, that’s about physical availability. This is all about distribution. Your products need to be in as many locations as possible. They need to be physically accessible and available to buy. Food shopping habits are very baked in. Major studies on habit formation have shown it typically takes life-altering events such as becoming parents or moving house to change when and where you shop. Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit highlights just how difficult it can be to alter a customer’s shopping habits.

In short, no matter how groundbreaking your product, people will not upend their supermarket shopping habits and go out of their way to regularly purchase it. You need to bring it to them – be in as many convenient locations as possible, so that you can slot into consumers’ existing habits.

For scale-up brands undergoing growth, as much work should go into securing listings with major retailers and distributors as you put into the product, the brand, the manufacturing. The more listings you have, the more people will see your product, and the more customers you will have simply by being physically accessible.

Often small brands avoid big retailers and distributors. They fear being dictated to when it comes to aspects of their product like manufacturing, pricing and more. But whilst I love small independent specialist retailers, unfortunately your brand will not grow by being reliant on them alone.

So back to La Vie – how has it achieved physical availability? Not only is it now in most major supermarkets, it’s only gone and got itself into Burger King – one of the biggest fast food chains in the UK, making their bacon very easy to get hold of.

Mental availability

The second part to growing a brand is mental availability. Again, consumers will not break their shopping habits – they are unlikely to make a special trip to the supermarket just to buy your product more than once. So instead, a brand needs to resonate with a consumer when they’re in a purchasing situation i.e. are wandering around the aisles on their weekly supermarket shop. Few supermarket shoppers will be actively seeking your product. If you’re lucky, their gaze will pass over your product for half a second before they move on.

How you capture them in that half a second is about being “mentally available.” Your brand – distinctive assets, logo, color schemes etc. – will fire off a few mental connections in their brains. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll do a double-take, and grab your product from the shelf.

There are no secrets or shortcuts to mental availability – it’s all about advertising. We’re not talking hyper-targeted granular digital ads or super-engaging TikTok campaigns… but good old-fashioned mass market, above-the-line advertising. TV, out-of-home, newspapers, digital ad campaigns – it’s about getting in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

This scares many small brands, and rightly so. It’s expensive. But it works. And there’s a certain hubris that comes with assuming your brand will buck the trend – that you’ll be the one to build huge retail interest off the back of more “affordable” marketing channels like organic social media.

To put it bluntly, there’s a reason why Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Coca Cola, L’Oréal, and Unilever collectively spend more than $42 billion annually on advertising, and are also five of the biggest FMCG brands in the world. Advertising works.

La Vie has understood this perfectly. It has invested heavily into above-the-line advertising campaigns, including huge out-of-home advertising investments.

Earlier this year, La Vie took out seemingly every bus stop shelter ad in the UK. That little bit of brand recognition, teamed with the bold color schemes, fun assets, and the promise of tasty and innovative plant-based bacon sparks something in people’s minds when they are browsing the plant-based aisle in their supermarket, priming them to purchasing and trying the product. La Vie are bringing home the bacon.

A marketing masterclass

This combination blends physical availability and mental availability perfectly. It’s simply making life convenient for the consumer. They will find La Vie wherever they shop, and through mass market advertising it’ll become a curiosity to them, sparking interest and hopefully an intention to buy. This approach is among the single most well-documented routes in marketing strategy, and it’s practically a guaranteed success when combined with a fantastic product offering, which La Vie certainly has.

We live in a world where marketeers will continue to pitch you the latest shortcuts and “little-known secrets” to market traction – social media stunts, AI-generated content, influencers, NFTs, the metaverse. All of this is hypothetical; it’s unproven and risky at best, a complete waste of resources at worst.

As someone who has spent over a decade in marketing and strategy, I’d advise any brand owners to be wary of the marketing snake oil. Put your faith in the tried and true. Physical and mental availability will always be a near guaranteed route to FMCG and retail success.

La Vie will be a household name within the next few years, and a great active case study for marketeers working in the plant-based space. This is how it’s done.

The post Why La Vie Is A Marketing Masterclass For Vegan Businesses appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign sees Plaza sardonically claiming to have invented a new plant-based milk made from wood. However, as the advert progresses, she makes it clear that the drink is neither real, nor milk. 

“Is Wood Milk real?” she asks before answering her own question. “Absolutely not, only real milk is real,” seemingly poking fun at the range of plant milks that are now freely available worldwide. To drive the message home, the advert ends with the words “Is your milk real?” on the screen.

The satire-filled campaign was created by the Milk Processor Education Programme (MilkPEP), a marketing firm paid by Big Dairy. The same company came up with the original “Got Milk?” strapline in the 1990s and is now trying to revive the fading popularity of animal dairy with younger consumers.

In a strange twist, MilkPEP has expanded the wood milk “gag” to include social media accounts for the spoof company. Plus, a real website and merchandise such as t-shirts have been created. In the footer, a statement reiterates that the product is fake and that “only dairy milk is real milk.”

It also confirms that the whole thing has been paid for by “America’s Milk Companies.”

Despite affording Plaza the opportunity to play into her recognizable sarcastic trope, the wood milk campaign has sparked criticism. Indeed, the backlash is being leveled not only by Plaza’s own fanbase but also plant-based activists.

Plaza’s milk promotion proves unpopular

Plaza reportedly turned the comments off on a sponsored Instagram post after legions of fans questioned her participation in the pro-dairy commercial. However, followers then left negative comments on unrelated posts where the comments sections are still active.

On other platforms, some are accusing her of being a “dairy propagandist” and generally confirming that milk’s popularity is waning. 

Joining Plaza’s fans in condemning the commercial are plant-based eaters and activists. Animal rights organization PETA has left no doubt about its stance on the campaign, calling Plaza’s involvement “disappointing.” 

Earthling Ed on Big Dairy’s hypocrisy

Vegan activist Ed Winters (AKA Earthling Ed) took to his YouTube channel to dissect the commercial. In it, he condemns Plaza for being complicit in environmental hypocrisy.

In a scathing video entitled Aubrey Plaza destroys veganism (sarcastically), Winter addresses what he calls the “bewildering shambles” that is a pro-dairy advert being released during Earth Week. He qualifies this by explaining that animal agriculture is a major driver of the climate crisis. 

He goes on to unravel deeper hypocrisy within the campaign that centers around Big Dairy’s pledge to plant 10,000 trees, not cut them down to make milk. 

Explaining that the dairy sector is a major deforestation motivator, Winters likens the act of planting 10,000 trees to somebody setting a house on fire and then offering the owner a watering can to try to extinguish the flames.

Alt-dairy ads cause controversy too

MilkPEP is not alone in being questioned about the decision to press go on a dairy-related campaign. 

Earlier this year, Switch4Good unveiled a series of billboards designed to parody Got Milk’s original imagery of celebrities with cow milk mustaches. In the place of popular media figures stood notorious serial killers sporting milk mustaches above the words “9 out of 10 serial killers grew up drinking milk.”

Some observers were quick to condemn the ads as disrespectful to victims’ families and harmful to the plant-based cause.

The post ‘Is Your Milk Real?’ – Aubrey Plaza Under Fire For Anti-Vegan Dairy Ad appeared first on Plant Based News.

The campaign aims to educate consumers about the shortened lifespans of animals reared for meat, compared to how long they would live in nature.

Billboards and print ads are already in place throughout the US, with social media posts offering global access to the striking imagery. NotCo will also distribute ads in other countries where it operates, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and its home country of Chile.

In each AI-generated picture, a mature cow, chicken, or pig is shown on a black background. The accompanying text reveals how long the individual could live, if not slaughtered for human consumption. The images challenge people to view older non-human animals as normal, rather than unusual due to our meat-centric food system.

“This campaign reminds us that AI can help humans have a better relationship with animals and nature,” Jean Zamprogno and Fernando Pellizzaro, the founders of AKQA Bloom, said in a statement. “We believe that seeing an old farm animal shouldn’t be a surprise, and AI can be the accelerator for a plant-based revolution in the food industry.”

The truth about animal slaughter ages

All three species of farmed animals depicted in NotCo’s AI adverts are killed considerably before their natural life expectancies.

Cows can live happily and healthily for almost 50 years. However, they rarely live longer than one-and-a-half years when reared for meat. Dairy cows live longer, up to around one-tenth of their natural lifespan, if they continue to produce enough milk.

Similarly, pigs and chickens can enjoy life for around 20 and 10 years respectively (though 20-year-old chickens have been reported). However, non-breeding pigs are routinely slaughtered at under one year old. Most shockingly, chickens only last a matter of weeks in the food system.

“These AI-generated images give us a clear picture of what these animals should actually look like in nature. We hope this sparks a larger conversation about how we can all do our part to create a better future together – for ourselves, our planet, and the animals,” Fernando Machado, global CMO for NotCo said in a statement.

NotCo’s AI plant-based revolution

NotCo is no stranger to AI, having built its entire food production system around it. 

Using patented AI technology, called “Giuseppe,” NotCo analyzes animal-based foods to then recreate them with plant-based ingredients. It does so to mimic the taste, texture, and smell of animal products while reducing their environmental impact. As an example, NotCo’s chicken is said to produce 74 percent less CO2 than regular chicken. It also requires around 92 percent less water.

Using – often unexpected – combinations of plant-based ingredients, it has launched numerous meat substitutes such as burgers and chicken products. These are stocked alongside NotCo milk and other dairy alternatives in more than 10,000 US stores.

The post New AI Billboards Address Why You Aren’t Used To Seeing Senior Farm Animals appeared first on Plant Based News.

Known in the video as “Doris,” the cow is part of a 200-strong dairy herd on a farm in the Isle of Wight, UK. There, the farm sells milk to local stores, including Co-op.

A farmhand named John Brodie recently posted a video of him trying to coax the cow to get up on a cold morning. The clip has now amassed almost two million views on TikTok.

The viral video of ‘Doris’

The video starts with the caption: “POV (which stands for ‘point of view’): You don’t like early mornings.”

Brodie introduces it by saying: “This is what a stubborn dairy cow looks like.” He then goes on to say: “Everyone’s out. Everyone’s getting ready for milking. Except for Doris. Doris is actually pretending to be asleep. Doris, come on. See your ears moving. Come on, I can see your eye.”

At this point in the video, the cow, who is lying on the floor, lifts her head up to look at the farmhand.

The farmhand then appears to put on a babyish voice, and asks the cow what she’s got “all over her face.”

He finishes by saying: “Right, come on. Time to earn your crust.”

‘Positive exposure’ for dairy

The video has proved a social media hit, with many making jokes about how they “relate” to “Doris.” Some also expressed sympathy for her apparent unwillingness to get up early.

In an interview with CNN, Brodie said the media attention was “a really good thing.” He explained: “I think any positive exposure for the dairy industry, particularly at the moment, is probably a good thing.”

Indeed, more people are becoming aware of the darker side of the dairy industry in recent times, thanks in part to exposés and documentaries. This reality could explain why the cow was unwilling – or possibly unable – to get up. 

While that particular farm’s situation is unclear, the video doesn’t represent the dairy industry as a whole. For example, it’s unlikely that a typical farmed cow would be given a name. The idea that dairy farmers are humanizing their cows and referring to them by cute monikers like “Doris” offers a wholesome portrayal of the sector that does not align with standard industry processes.

The reality of milk production

Cows used for their milk suffer immensely. They have been selectively bred to produce significantly more milk than they naturally would, meaning “modern” cows often develop a painful udder condition called mastitis.

Further, almost a third of dairy cows suffer from lameness. This is often brought on as a result of being forced to stand on hard surfaces for long periods of time. It also arises due to disease, injury, or ineffective hoof trimming.

When a cow’s milk dries up and her body finally wears out, she is sent to the slaughterhouse for meat.

Cows in the dairy industry experience more than physical trauma, too. They are forcibly made pregnant via artificial insemination, and each time, farmers remove their babies from them so that humans can consume their milk. Cows form powerful bonds with their calves, and often bellow and cry out for days after they’re gone. Meanwhile, their calves can suffer the effects of early maternal deprivation.

The post Dairy Cow Who ‘Faked Sleep’ To Avoid Being Milked Goes Viral appeared first on Plant Based News.

Spurred on by a competition launched by farmstock organization Harrison & Hetherington to find farming’s best vlogger, young agriculture professionals are looking to paint a prettier picture of the dairy industry on the global video-sharing platform.

The winner of the “Young Farming Vlogger” contest was announced on March 11. The top prize of £50 and a Carrs Billington gift bag went to 11-year-old Seth from Penrith.

Dairy’s ‘bad press’

Young dairy farmers uploading TikToks of day-to-day activities is seen as a way to dispel apparent “misconceptions” surrounding the industry.

“I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there about farming,” commented Lizzie McLaughlin, Farming Weekly’s community editor and one of the Harrison & Hetherington competition judges.

“Social media is becoming more popular among young farmers because it’s accessible. Also, it gives that one-to-one interaction where you can really get up close with the farming community, where you can see the good and the bad – it’s authentic.”

A growing number of farmers are concerned about dairy’s image, as reported by the Telegraph. In part, due to content uploaded by vegan creators.

To date, the “vegan” hashtag has amassed more than 30 billion views on TikTok. Many videos under the hashtag focus on the cruelty associated with dairy production, such as mother-calf separation and the forcible impregnation of female cows. This prompted one farmer to say that dairy has a “bad press.”

‘Ashamed to buy dairy’

In 2022, Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy manufacturer, offered insight into why interest in dairy is declining. This, as plant-based alternatives enjoy a surge in sales. The company claimed, in its “don’t cancel the cow” campaign, that young consumers are increasingly “ashamed” to buy dairy. It said that this is due to welfare, health, or environmental concerns.

The organizer of the Harrison & Hetherington competition, Caitlin Riddle, has high hopes for the contest. She is optimistic that farmers joining TikTok will counter the slew of animal welfare videos. Alongside this, she hopes that they will answer questions about the environmental impact of dairy.

“There’s this belief that dairy cows are just abused and that their calves are removed from them, it’s portrayed in a really negative way,” she told the Telegraph.

She went on to say that when working on farms, she had seen cows “quickly forget their calves” after separation.

Vegans against dairy

Many vegan TikTok creators claim that it’s dairy farmers who are misrepresenting their industry. This, by uploading videos of them feeding cows and driving tractors, but not addressing artificial insemination or the routine killing of just-born male (and therefore unprofitable) calves.

Animal rights advocacy group the Humane League estimates that around 60,000 male calves are shot and killed at birth each year in the UK.

A cursory TikTok search by Plant Based News did not reveal any UK dairy farmers who address calf separation. Calf culling and the cramped, often unsanitary conditions that dairy cows are contained in were also demonstrably lacking.

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These commercials have looked at everything from the ethical, environmental, and health costs of animal agriculture. Many are hard to watch, but animal organizations see them as a vital tool to bring veganism to the masses.

Vegan ads often feature controversial material. In June 2022, a commercial from nonprofit Vegan Friendly UK was taken off air after viewers complained of being “distressed” by its graphic animal cruelty content.

A PETA ad released in 2023 asked viewers if they were a “bad parent” by feeding their kids meat. The clip stemmed from the fact that animal agriculture is a primary driver of the climate crisis, and featured a child living in a post-apocalyptic world.

Here are Plant Based News‘ picks of the best-ever vegan TV adverts.

Check out Plant Based News’ YouTube channel for more videos like this.

The post WATCH: The Best Vegan TV Adverts appeared first on Plant Based News.

The broadcaster reportedly feared that its theme of natural destruction would cause “right-wing backlash.” Specifically, from Conservative Party ministers, some of the UK press, and the farming and hunting industries.

But the decision was met with backlash of a different kind, as reported by the Guardian on Friday (March 10).

Concerned program-makers and BBC staff raised the alarm that the so-called politically independent broadcaster had bowed to pressure from right-wing lobbying groups when it decided to release the final Wild Isles episode separately from the others.

“Senior sources” at the BBC informed the Guardian that the decision was an effort to avoid confrontation.

One unnamed source commented that “lobbying groups” such as the animal farming industries are “desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways.” And, that they would “kick off” had the show presented a “political” message.

BBC accused of censorship

Laura Howard, the producer of the docuseries, confirmed that the program would address farming’s negative effect on wildlife. But, that it would also spotlight those doing good in the sector.

Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion’s Green Party MP, condemned the BBC for its alleged decision.

In a statement, Lucas said: “For the BBC to censor one of the nation’s most informed and trusted voices on the nature and climate emergencies is nothing short of an unforgivable dereliction of its duty to public service broadcasting.”

“BBC bosses must not be cowed by antagonistic, culture war-stoking government ministers, putting populist and petty political games above delivering serious action to protect and restore our natural world. This episode simply must be televised,” she added.

The BBC, David Attenborough, and ‘Wild Isles’

The Wild Isles series is a five-part docuseries narrated by Attenborough. The first episode aired on Sunday, March 12.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-produced the program, which was filmed over three years. The BBC says the project aims to “underscore the challenges affecting nature within the British Isles.” In addition, “alert audiences to the species vanishing on their doorstep.”

Right-wing backlash

Despite reportedly looking to appease right-wing political and media figures, the Wild Isles docuseries has failed to go unscathed.

The Telegraph called out the BBC for accepting money from both the WWF and the RSPB to produce the series. The publication claims both charities have been “criticized for their political lobbying.” And as such, the content will be skewed to the left.

Wild Isles producer Howard dismissed this point. “I think the facts speak for themselves,” she told the Guardian.

“You know, we’ve worked really closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to fact-check all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country.

“And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don’t think that that is political, I think it’s just facts.”

What has the BBC said about the accusations?

The BBC has denied holding back a sixth episode. It states that the chapter in question was always destined to be an iPlayer-only installment.

In a statement, it said the accusation was “totally inaccurate.”

“There is no ‘sixth episode’,” the broadcaster said about the Attenborough project. “Wild Isles is – and always was – a five-part series and does not shy away from environmental content. We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.”

Farming’s impact on the environment

Our agricultural system is hugely costly to the environment. It’s a leading cause of deforestation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. It is also a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions. 

The UK government has a demonstrable history of failing to create effective climate strategies.

Moreover, it hasn’t addressed the impact of farming directly. Instead, it has allowed an increasing number of industrial “mega-farms” to be built across the country. There are now thought to be at least 1,000 large-scale farming locations in the UK, coming at great environmental cost. 

Wild Isles is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The next episode, called Woodlands, will air on March 19 at 7pm.

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Featuring some of the more extreme and humorous responses to its products, VFC places them next to images of its food, with the commenter credited. In response to the question “would you rather eat VFC or…,” for example, “Wayne from Facebook” responded that he’d rather “stick a wasp up his bum.”

Other billboards read messages like “I’d rather eat dog poo covered in breadcrumbs” and “I’d rather eat my dog” (credited to Mark from Facebook and Aaron from Facebook respectively).

The ads are being displayed on billboards up and down the country, as well as 2,200 tube cars on the London Underground.

“We receive rude comments all the time from our haters telling us all the things they would rather do than eat Vegan Fried Chick*n, but of course most of them haven’t even tried it!” Alison Reilly, head of marketing at VFC said in a statement.

“The levels of outrage around the concept of vegan meat alternatives is astounding… and slightly bemusing. But, on the other hand, the material was just too good to ignore. The contrast between their extreme language and the delicious food they’re referring to made for a perfect campaign to showcase taste. No preaching, just putting it to the public and letting them decide ‘what they would rather’.”

All hail the ‘Cluckwits’

Calling its trolls “Cluckwits,” this is not the first time VFC has sought to use haters to its advantage. 

In March 2022 the activist-led food company launched its “humane troll slaying” campaign. This saw the marketing team turn real conversations with negative social media users into telephone box posters and London Underground billboards.

“Over the last year or so, our Cluckwits have consistently entertained us, but until now, for the good of humanity, we have kept them safely kettled online,” the vegan chicken producer said at the time. 

“And then one day, the devil got into us, and we started to wonder what would happen if we released them into the wild. And so we did.”

Improving vegan chicken

VFC’s latest troll-led campaign comes shortly after the brand released its new vegan chicken recipe. 

Said to replicate the taste and texture of real chicken more than previous incarnations, the new development was used in its first kids’ product, called “Stompers.”

The post Vegan Meat Brand Displays Its Own Troll Comments On 2,200 Tube Cars In London appeared first on Plant Based News.

One of the most recent came from Bloomberg. The global news agency just published a feature titled: “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.”

As well as a particularly unappetizing main photo of a frozen vegan burger, the article contained cherry-picked statistics. And, what Impossible Foods called “one-sided anecdotes and editorialized framing.”

We’re getting tired of the fake information being shared about this industry, and it’s time to set the record straight.

Overgeneralization of industry and consumers

First, let’s talk about the consumers of plant-based meat. The Bloomberg piece implies that they are only bought by vegetarians and vegans, a false assertion that has been repeated ad-nauseum in the meat industry with no conclusive evidence. 

An independent 2022 study showed that 86 percent of plant-based meat buyers also buy meat. And, that only 2.79 percent of plant-based meat buyers are vegan or vegetarian. The idea that plant-based meat alternatives are some sort of uber-niche particularity serving a small proportion of the population is careless and inaccurate — and one that is being perpetuated in recent media articles with no basis. 

The stock price drop of Beyond Meat is repeatedly mentioned in the article, yet no context of the broader ecosystem around meat is given. One stock price doesn’t dictate a multi-billion-dollar industry. 

Yes, Beyond is down 76 percent. But last month, the stock of Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the US, hit a three-year low – largely related to the avian flu crisis, which is the biggest global outbreak of all time. Not only did turkey prices rise by almost 50 percent for Thanksgiving, but egg prices have drastically increased as well. In fact, food costs are up across the board and hurting every industry. 

If you’re going to make the assertion that plant-based proteins are a fad based on stock performance, you should take Big Meat’s poor performance into consideration as well. And, let’s be honest, if we’re talking about the long game, the markets won’t take too kindly to stocks affected by the never-ending pandemics, droughts, and inevitable meat shortages to come.

Health fear-mongering

Some articles briefly mention the Center for Consumer Freedom’s (CCF) campaigns to discourage people from eating plant-based meat. But this is a far more significant issue than the article implies.

CCF is a lobbying group largely funded by meat conglomerates and tobacco companies. It has run a ruthless multi-year campaign against plant-based meat, including commissioning countless paid studies to substantiate its false claims. Is it a coincidence that, only months after Beyond Meat had the largest IPO in two decades, CCF commissioned a $5 million dollar Super Bowl ad to claim that plant-based meat was unhealthy? 

A plant-based burger is not a protein shake, but let’s be clear: the number one selling meat product in America is a chicken nugget (in fact, one in three Americans consumes chicken nuggets on a regular basis). While a Beyond Burger may not be a healthier alternative to a lentil patty, nobody is eating lentil patties. Americans eat “ultra processed” food every day – most of which are meat or dairy products. In fact, four of the top five selling meat products in America are ultra-processed meats. Let’s be honest about the ‘provenance’ of our foods.

Further, numerous independent studies have scientifically confirmed that plant-based meats are healthier than animal meats. 

Ignoring climate crisis facts

There’s a massive elephant in the meat-based room: the climate crisis. As this piece was published, Bill Gates and other global leaders gathered in Davos to discuss how to mitigate the climate crisis – with meat alternatives being a key solution. 

And they are not alone. The Dutch government recently shut down multiple livestock farms upon realizing there is no way for the EU to meet projected climate goals without producing less meat. Animal agriculture is responsible for 57 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. If we’re going to address the climate crisis, meat alternatives (which produce drastically lower carbon emissions) need to be part of the conversation.  

Furthermore, plant-based meats represent the most realistic and effective form of climate investment. A recent study concluded that investing in plant-based meats is four times more effective than green buildings. And, a staggering 11 times more effective than electric vehicles.

Taking on a century-old industry

I’ll admit, the words of Beyond and Impossible were ambitious. The founders claimed they would “replace meat” entirely within 10 years, for example. That statement was an impossibly tall order — how could one company dethrone a century-old $1.4 trillion dollar industry in only a decade? 

But big vision idealization isn’t unique to these companies. Many founders at many companies spouted similar rhetoric at early stages – pretty much every founder does. Ambitious goals and world-changing hyperboles attract investors, which every company needs to survive. 

The plant-based industry is not about money or short-term trends, as the Bloomberg article seems eager to have readers believe. It’s about changing the foundation of food to make our world habitable, less vulnerable to inflation and pandemics, and reducing critical amounts of greenhouse gasses. 

As leaders in the business world focused on predicting the future economy, I leave you with one simple question: if you were to invest in the meat we will eat in a hundred years time, who would you put your money on?

The post Fake Meat Or Fake News? Why Vegan Food Isn’t ‘Just Another Fad’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

Bloomberg recently published a story about Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. It was titled: “Fake Meat Was Supposed to Save the World. It Became Just Another Fad.”

The article, which also described vegan meat as a “flop,” contained what Impossible Foods called “one-sided anecdotes and editorialized framing.”

“The story works hard to create a misperception that plant-based meat, once celebrated for its significant environmental potential, has nowhere to go but down,” Impossible Foods said in a statement. “The reporting is scarce of any data to support its position.”

Impossible pointed out that the article referenced a 14 percent drop in refrigerated sales of plant-based meat. It did not, however, mention that frozen sales are up across the category. 

The rise of plant-based meat

Impossible Foods highlighted that the plant-based meat sector is worth $7 billion globally.

It discussed the rise of plant-based meat in supermarkets and restaurants, and stated that it receives record sales every year. 

“It’s not just vegans and vegetarians buying our products, either,” it added. “More than 90 percent of individuals purchasing Impossible say they also eat meat — a clear indication that our product is attracting meat eaters and flexitarians.”

Impossible Foods fights back

In response to the Bloomberg piece, Impossible Foods has taken out a full page ad in the New York Times. Impossible confirmed that it was to “draw attention to some of the widespread criticisms people had about the story.” The advert used comments from Reddit to illustrate this. 

The advert reads: “When stories in the media are hating on plant-based meat, we throw burgers on the grill & leave the rest to Reddit.”

The Reddit comments included were blasting the Bloomberg article. One reads: “Uh, it’s an option in many very large restaurant chains as a meat alternative. That’s huge. No idea where this article is coming from.”

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