Selling Compassion: Broadcasting Veganism Into the Mainstream

In one of the most eye-opening scenes from the documentary, Super Size Me, producer and subject Morgan Spurlock reveals that more school-age children, when presented with a line-up, recognized Ronald McDonald than Jesus. As shocking and, frankly, depressing, as this sober reality is, it speaks volumes to the power and undeniable impact modern day advertising campaigns holds over each of us.

Although McDonalds, and other meat-based corporations, has used such media to push products that lead to the confinement, cruel handling, mutilations, and merciless slaughter of billions of cows, pigs, and chickens annually – the platforms they have used to sell those burgers and nuggets hold enormous potential in actually ending such abuses and moving masses of everyday consumers toward a cruelty-free, vegetarian diet.

Because the abuse and exploitation that farmed animal endure is intentionally concealed from public view, and masked by flashy ad campaigns and catchy jingles, few consumers ever questions or come face-to-face with the true cost of meat: violence toward animals.

Imagine, if nested between each commercial break, along every highway, and affixed on every city transit line there were advertisements that sold a priceless item: compassion for animals.

Through cutting-edge advertisement campaigns on television, billboards, public transit, and the Internet, Mercy For Animals is working to open the hearts and minds of millions of consumers to plight of farmed animals and the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

In major cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, MFA's ads – featuring images of abused animals on factory farms - are inspiring droves of people to go vegetarian.

Millions of ad viewers have been prompted to visit MFA's ChooseVeg.com website, where they are presented with compelling videos of factory farm cruelty, eye-opening facts on animal agriculture's impact on the environment, the health benefits of a meatless diet, and hundreds of mouth-watering vegan recipes and cooking videos.

TV Commercial: Taking it to the airwaves

MFA's powerful TV advertising exposes viewers to the cruelty of factory farms and encourages people to adopt vegetarian diets.

Click here to view our latest pro-vegetarian TV commercial.

Compelled into action, commercial viewers have responded in overwhelming numbers, stating:

"Seeing that commercial has instantaneously stopped me from eating meat, it really was hard to see!"

"I saw the commercial on MTV and it made me cry and then something just hit me...I am supporting this abuse! I became a vegan that second, no questions asked."

"Your new commercial is the reason I became a vegetarian and signed onto the website. Please keep doing things like that".

"The...commercial on local television moved me to become a vegetarian. I have been encouraging friends and family to do so as well."

Public Transit Ads: Communicating Compassion to Commuters

MFA runs advertising campaigns on bustling bus and subway systems in cities from coast-to-coast.

One of our provocative posters ask consumers "How much cruelty can you swallow?" – depicting cows, pigs, and chickens locked and filthy, crowded cages and stalls.

Another ad campaign, featuring an image of an adorable puppy and lovable piglet sitting side-by-side, asks, "Why love one but eat the other?'

The campaign spotlights the simple reality that farmed animals experience joy, loneliness, fear, frustration, and pain in the very same way as our beloved dog and cat companions.

Yet, in our nation's factory farms and slaughterhouses pigs, cows, and chickens are confined in cages so small they can hardly move, are mutilated without painkillers, cruelty handled, and mercilessly slaughtered - often will fully conscious.

In fact, factory farms could face felony-level cruelty-to-animal charges in most states if they subjected dogs or cats to the abusive conditions farmed animals endure daily.

MFA's recent transit ad campaigns include:

• New York 2009: Over the course of two months in June and July of 2009, 200 posters on six Manhattan bus routes informed riders of the cruelties involved in factory farming. More than 14 million viewings are the result. Click here to view the ads.
• Toronto 2009: MFA has gone international: Toronto subway riders are seeing a newly launched trio-ad set, featuring "companion" animals sitting side-by-side with "food" animals, asking "Why love one but eat the other?" Readers are exposed to fun facts about farmed animal intelligence and personalities, juxtaposed with images and information regarding Canada's cruel factory farm systems. As part of the campaign launch, MFA has created ChooseVeg.ca, a vegetarian resource site for Canadians. Click here to view the ads.
• Chicago 2008: Over 600 posters ran on the Chicago Transit line, featuring images of factory-farmed animals next to the question "How much cruelty can you swallow?" The ads head up the debate over our food choices, while amassing over 35 million viewings in two months. Click here to view the ads.
• Boston 2008: City commuters were exposed to the same message of compassion as well: 600 ads ran on city train and bus systems, and were viewed over 20 million times.

Reaching out to individuals who infrequently, or never, evaluate the impact their food choices have on animals, the response to these though-provoking campaigns has been heartening. Below is a sampling of reactions to our posters:

"During one morning commute, I was captivated by a poster on the train with a photo of a caged pig and a question "How much cruelty can you swallow?" It included a sentence about farm animals' mutilations, confinement and violent deaths. It was a true "Aha" moment – it suddenly hit me that by eating meat, I was contributing to animal cruelty. As a life-time animal lover, I couldn't stand it – I swore off meat that day, and soon became a vegan and an animal rights activist.

"I definitely I think it's a great campaign; I think if there was more education and awareness in this world, if people actually knew what's going on, people might be more likely to be vegetarian."

"It would enlighten people about what's going on, before they eat another cheeseburger or pork chop."

"That really makes me want to become a vegetarian, because I love animals."

"The first time I saw it, I did tell everyone I know. I haven't eaten meat for the past two weeks."

Billboards: Driving Home Vegetarianism

Featuring the same hard-hitting messages as the bus and rail campaigns, MFA billboards are driving home the message of veganism to millions of commuters.

• Michigan 2009: MFA cosponsored three pro-vegetarian billboards in Michigan. The billboards amassed an estimated total of 90,000 views daily. Drivers throughout the area were confronted with their food choices and encouraged to consider the implications of their food choices every time they sit down for meal.
• Denver 2009: Vegetarianism is reaching new heights in Denver, Colorado with the launch of 15 new Mercy For Animals billboards.

  Scattered throughout the greater Denver area along bustling highway routes, on college campuses, and nested on busy street corners, the pro-vegetarian billboards are giving millions of local residents some serious food for thought.

Internet Ads: Using a Mouse to Help Farmed Animals

During a time when the web is quickly reshaping the way the world communicates and receives information, internet-based advertising is becoming more relevant and effective than ever before.

Most of MFA's internet ads direct people to web pages on ChooseVeg.com, such as this one, that automatically start playing undercover video footage from factory farms and slaughterhouses.

We've had an incredible number of people tell us that they've become vegetarian as a result of watching the online videos after clicking on the ads:

"I came across the site while looking for a pork chop recipe and am just completely ill by what I saw. Excellent place to have your link posted...it works."

"I came across your website by complete accident – clicked on an advertisement by mistake and was drawn in by the video. Thank you for doing what you do. You just made a long-time meat lover never eat a bite of meat again. You're doing these poor animals the justice and proper care they deserve."

"Thank you, this website just turned my family into vegetarians in five minutes, I am deeply touched."

"Up until 3 weeks ago I had no idea how and where my meat came from, I had ordered take-out food and found feathers in my food and had done a Google search and came across ChooseVeg.com. After seeing how inhumane these animals are treated, being a mom of 3 boys, I was sickened, I felt weak and very disgusted with our society. So since then, I have persuaded my husband and 3 boys to choose vegan as well."

"The reason I'm going vegan is because of what I saw on ChooseVeg.com."

Why Advertising Campaigns?

• A picture is worth a thousand words. (And video is probably worth a million!) MFA's advertisement campaigns broadcast footage of the harsh realities of factory farms into American homes – giving millions of viewers the first glimpse into the eyes and stories of the animals destined for the dinner table. Once people see for themselves the reality farmed animals face, it is no longer something they can ignore.
• Reaching the Reachable. Television and Internet advertising allows us to reach specific audiences that are most receptive to considering a vegetarian diet: such as teens and young adults, who are the most open to change. By airing spots on youth-focused television stations such as MTV, or advertising on social networking websites and blogs, we are able to inspire and empower future generations.
• Cost Efficiency. Our advertising campaigns reach vast audiences, with most campaigns costing just pennies per person; making our campaigns among the most efficient and effective outreach tools available.
• They Work. We have had literally thousands of people tell us that they have been affected by our advertising campaigns. Click here to read more feedback from our ad campaigns.

Take Action!

• Sponsor an ad. Your contribution goes a long way: a single TV commercial or bus poster can reach thousands of viewers for under $100. Click here to make a tax deductible donation today.
• Bring an ad campaign to your community. You can bring MFA's pro-vegetarian campaigns to your community by sponsoring a local billboard, bus campaign, or tv commercials. For information on getting started, contact MFA's Executive Director, Nathan Runkle, at NathanR@MercyForAnimals.org.
• Post an online ad. Attention bloggers, website administrators, and MySpacers: turn your readers, fans, family, and friends onto vegetarianism by posting a free online banner ad on your site. Click here to view a variety of attention-grabbing Internet ads, along with their HTML codes, you can use.
• Become an MFA intern. Put your compassion into action with an MFA internship. Internship opportunities are available year-round at our offices in Chicago, New York City, and Columbus, Ohio. Click here for additional information and an internship application.
• Donate now! Make a tax-deductible contribution to support Mercy For Animals' life-saving work on behalf of the most abused and neglected creatures on earth: farmed animals. Click here for information on joining MFA's monthly giving club, and click here for information on joining The Hope Society.