Anyone who is starting to feel “Christmassy” must wake up to the carnage behind the festive cheer, according to a new campaign by global animal-protection organisation PETA, which is urging people to go vegan this season.
“Happy Christmassacre” has been devised in partnership with Grey London and will run cinemas, on social media and on OOH sites.
While December is often painted as a time of joy and generosity, millions of animals are slaughtered to fill dinner tables. The activity invites viewers to pause and reflect on those traditions and make kinder, more conscious choices to choose compassion over cruelty.
At the heart of the campaign is a bold creative idea that hijacks the familiar warmth of Christmas and turns it into something disturbingly revealing.
The lead film, a darkly comic two minute spot directed by Emmy and Cannes Lions winning Director David Shane at O Positive, opens on the quintessential Christmas dinner scene before transforming into a horror-inspired depiction of the hidden violence behind the feast.
This key message extends across the campaign’s visual world, where traditional festive symbols are reimagined through a confronting new lens. OOH imagery replaces Santa’s red and white suit with close ups of stained animal pelts, transforming a symbol of joy and generosity into a stark reminder of the hidden cost of celebration.
The film will appear in UK cinemas and on global digital platforms, with Germany, the UK and the US as key social markets. OOH executions will appear nationwide in the UK, with guerilla style fly postings across London in particular.
PETA vice president for the UK and Europe Mimi Bekhechi said: “Christmas is meant to be a season of goodwill to all, yet for millions of animals, it’s anything but. PETA’s goal is to challenge perceptions, and the talented team at Grey London has done just that with this darkly humorous film, which highlights how easily people can overlook the suffering behind their Christmas lunch.
“We hope this thought-provoking spot will inspire viewers to extend the spirit of kindness to everyone this festive season by leaving animals off their plates.”
Grey London chief creative officer Helen Rhodes added: “Nothing says Christmas like carving up the corpse of a once-sentient being in front of your nearest and dearest. This year, we wanted to shine a light on that dark festive tradition, to expose the quiet, normalised savagery that plays out at millions of dinner tables across the country.
“We hope our message resonates so that this Christmas, more people choose compassion over cruelty – and that nut roast sales go through the roof.”
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