This Valentine’s Day, a controversial new Viva! vegan TV ad is being shown for the first time across Channel 4 and its associated networks.
On February 14, 2022, Viva!, the UK’s leading vegan charity, launches its much-anticipated pro-vegan TV advert ‘Takeaway the Meat’. The Bristol-based charity says they are ‘on a mission to show the public why eating vegan is better for the animals, our health and the planet.’
Created by Skylark Media, the TV advert follows the journey of a meat-eating couple as they decide which takeaway meal to order. Snuggled up on their sofa, with their beloved dog, they choose pulled pork from the food delivery app ‘Just Meat’.
Hungry in anticipation of their meaty meal, the couple race to the door when the delivery driver rings the bell. The delivery driver brandishing a butcher’s knife announcing: ‘Just Meat, delivered fresh to your door.’ Gob-smacked and confused, the couple don’t know what to do. Surely, they won’t kill the cute little piggy?
Viva!’s new advert encourages the public to make the connection between the animals they choose to keep as companions and the ones that are destined for their dinner table.
‘The Skylark team wanted to reflect the passion behind the Viva! brand with an impactful creative that resonates with Viva!’s target audience,’ says Skylark’s Nina Postans. ‘As a vegan, it’s especially rewarding to work with the brilliant Viva! team on a project that amplifies a message that I feel passionate about. We need to connect the dots between pets and farmed animals. The hope is that this TV ad impacts meat eaters and pet lovers alike.’
Nina Postans
Nina is Managing Director at Skylark Media. She has written for Marketing Week, Advertising Week and Creative Review.