Animal welfare charity PETA has released an unflinching new film that lays bare the brutal truth behind the clothing industry, educating the public on how animals are farmed for their skin.
Developed in collaboration with London agency House 337, ‘Red River Farm’ parodies jovial children’s shows where farm animals educate children about farm life through song and dance.
In this unsettling short film however, the lyrics are rather more sinister – instead drawing attention to how sheep, geese, cows and snakes are shockingly exploited for their fur, feathers and skin.
Actress Jessie Cave plays the role of the happy-go-lucky children’s entertainer whose mood slowly darkens as the despair in the animal’s songs begins to sink in, with the cow singing: “I watch all my friends being skinned/I’m branded and abused/Then after that my throat is slit/And fashion’s the excuse.”
Designed to dissuade the public from wearing any animal-based products and embrace vegan fashion, the campaigns ask the nation to “Shop like their lives depend on it.”
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“This campaign is part entertainment and part education. We believe it is a compelling and powerful way to highlight what is done to animals in the name of fashion,” PETA vice-president of programmes and operations, Elisa Allen said.
“This sharable video will support us in spreading the word that animals are not materials and inspire people to shop for vegan clothing and accessories.”
Created with production studio BlinkInk, the film will be rolled out across PETA’s owned social media channels, including Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
House 337 creative director, Steve Hawthorne added: “A big part of the challenge with these sorts of projects is finding a fresh and engaging way to talk to people that avoids using the same old finger-wagging shock tactics many charities use.
“That is where our band of cute-but-grotesque puppets came in. We’re very happy with the final film and really hope that it gets people to question the clothes they buy and where they come from.”
