NOW IN CINEMAS: Our new farming campaign

In cinemas from today, our advert will reach more than a million cinemagoers with a simple call to action: Choose compassion, choose vegan. 

Many people believe that the farming of animals is a necessary but harmless activity, in which animals’ lives – at least up until the point of slaughter – map out in general comfort and ease. We know the opposite to be true: that animals endure a lifetime of misery, confinement and suffering, and that animal agriculture strips them of their right to live free from harm. In a compassionate society, there’s no room for animals to be mutilated, exploited, killed and bred into an existence of suffering – and yet, that’s exactly what the dairy industry entails.

The terror on our tables 

Dairy is an insidious industry that works hard to maintain a fairytale of ‘happy’ cows grazing freely in lush, green pasture. Our campaign is focused not on one specific harm – such as slaughter – but on the entire system, in which animals are exploited again and again, subjected to heinous cruelty such as artificial insemination (AI), mutilations, and being separated from their newborn calves. 

This terror is fundamental to dairy production: nearly all dairy cows in the UK are impregnated via AI (an invasive and traumatic assault) and all will grieve for their calves who are forcibly removed just hours after birth. Crucially, this terror is also deliberately hidden from public view. 

Why cinemas? 

Our anti-dairy advert – for the first time in the UK – addresses the routine separation of mothers and calves as well depicting typical housing conditions for dairy cows and the isolation of calves once they’ve been separated from mum. Despite reaching more than 10 million viewers already across Channel 4, More 4 and Sky TV, the advert was originally created for cinema: the striking monochrome visuals and near-silent audio was designed to stand out from the colour and chaos of other adverts and trailers, forcing audiences to stop, look and listen.  

Cinema advertising offers not just a captive audience but is a highly immersive experience, with a huge screen and high-quality sound creating an impactful and memorable experience. Audiences have also chosen to be there – the adverts are part of the experience rather than an interruption, meaning viewers’ have a positive mindset and are more open to the messaging in front of them. Best of all, according to Toast, cinemagoers are more likely to remember and recall the adverts they see in cinemas, making this a crucial part of our farming campaign. 

It’s a huge milestone that our advert is, for the first time, reaching mainstream television and cinema audiences. Of course, we wish it wasn’t necessary: the industry works incredibly hard to convince consumers that dairy is kind to cows and necessary for our health, so we must work even harder to ensure the truth reaches the masses. 

 Get involved and be the first to hear about our work by: 

• Subscribing to our mailing list
• Following us on Instagram, Facebook or Bluesky
• Becoming an Animal Aid member

You can also support us by visiting our NEW campaign website and pledging to go dairy-free or by ordering a FREE action pack (containing leaflets, posters, and more) to help raise awareness of the dairy industry.