The Eat Differently campaign has premiered a Public Service Announcement (PSA) in cinema theaters across the United States highlighting the transformative power of thinking and eating differently. The 60-second ad is screening ahead of the new Wonka film, starring Timothée Chalamet, Hugh Grant, and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.
The spot, which plays on the pre-show for the Wonka film on 1,800 movie theater screens across the US from today until Christmas Eve, ends with the message, “Eat plants, not animals”.
“This spot doesn’t shame or take people away from the entertainment experience, but rather it stirs hope and optimism”
Created by BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood, the PSA intertwines the imaginative spirit of Willy Wonka with a compassionate message urging viewers to dream of a world where kindness embraces all. The ad features the images of famous icons from the world of music, film, and art who are committed to making a difference for the welfare of animals, the planet, and people’s health. It includes celebrities like Billie Eilish, Joaquin Phoenix, and Natalie Portman, all well-known vegans.
The commercial is the third component of the Eat Differently initiative advocating for plant-based diets, which included a billboard campaign in San Diego and a drone show in New York back in September.
Clash of the Titans
The PSA’s release coincides with the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) announcement of a widespread ad campaign promoting beef, lamb, and dairy, also to be screened in cinemas. “Voiced by comedian, actor, and broadcaster Richard Ayoade, the campaign will be seen across cinemas for the first time, in addition to VOD platforms, Sky, ITV, and Channel 4,” reports The Grocer.
With the ad spot debuting on January 1st, the same time the Veganuary campaign begins, AHDB is pushing a contrasting narrative, that positions meat and dairy as ‘sustainable, healthy, and nutritionally balanced.’
Simultaneously, the vegan cause finds an unexpected ally in popular culture. “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” which officially premieres on Netflix tomorrow, is already stirring conversations about veganism. The film’s director, Sam Fell, who actually turned vegetarian during the production of the film, told The Metro that the movie isn’t meant to preach but said, “If you come away and you think a little bit more like a chicken by the end of it, then that’s not a bad thing.”
The CEO of the UK Vegetarian Society, Richard McIlwain, told The Guardian, “Whether or not they’ve set out to make a vegan morality tale, the reality is that this is what happens in poultry farms.”
Message of hope and optimism
This head-to-head clash of marketing campaigns signifies a crucial moment in the vegan movement. While disinformation campaigns continue to spread anti-vegan messaging through conventional media channels, the vegan movement, led by campaigns like Eat Differently, is adapting its approach, using art and popular culture to challenge entrenched views and inspire change.
Lockwood cites inspiration from Wonka’s ‘Pure Imagination’ song, commenting, “The lyrics are especially poignant and relevant as they pertain to our treatment of the animals with whom we share this earth.” According to ad executive Lori Amos, “This spot doesn’t shame or take people away from the entertainment experience, but rather it stirs hope and optimism.”
Watch the Eat Differently pre-show video campaign here.
