I heard about this BeVeg.ca campaign by the Toronto Vegetarian Association a little while ago, and how it's been grabbing Toronto subway riders' attention with a positive impact thus far. I finally saw the ads today and felt they were worth sharing… and they should be plastered everywhere so my task for you today is to print some off and slap them all over your city. ;)
I think the approach is incredibly powerful, comparing factory farmed animals to your pets at home--it's an argument I always come back to and try to convey to others. I also like these ads because of its overall positive approach. The campaign isn't trying to make people feel badly about what they eat, simply shedding light on the reality of it. The bright colourful images of the animals that first grab your attention is also, to me, something that grabs your attention in a positive manner. Yes, there are darker images of the reality of factory farming below, which I think are necessary for people to see to really understand the cruelty, but I think that because the initial grab for attention is cute and warm that the rest of the ad is more effective and paints a realistic yet hopeful picture, and because of all this has a bigger impact on people's decisions. The ads that are dark right off the bat give you a depressing feeling immediately and don't really want to make you stick around to hear the story. Not only that, but those dark ads most people just dismiss as another crazy vegan/vegetarian being pushy and demeaning.
My only complaint about the ads is the choice of the words "Be Vegetarian" and "Go Veg." While, yes, becoming vegetarian is a fantastic start, I feel that the message should be "Go Vegan." After all, the cruelty experienced by dairy cows is just as excruciating and horrifying as that of animals in the meat industry. I know one of the ads does mention the cruelty that goes on in the dairy industry, which is why I find it extra baffling for the choice of words "Go Veg." Perhaps because it seems easier to go vegetarian than to go vegan (it's ridiculously easy to be vegetarian) or is less intimidating or pushy. One step at a time I suppose.
In any case, I think the ads overall are fantastic and have been a long time coming. It's nice to see these kinds of ads finally being put out there.
What are your thoughts? Are you as excited as I am to see these ads popping up?
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