Andy Shovel, the vegan campaigner and founder of plant-based brand This, has launched a new charity that seeks to disrupt the way stories about animal suffering are told.
Called A Bit Weird, Shovel’s not-for-profit aims to turn the traditional approach of sharing “grave and grisly messaging” around factory farming and alleged “animal anguish” on its head by making people laugh.
The initiative, which aims to inspire a shift in attitudes and broader societal change, follows conventional decades-long depictions of animal suffering, which had left much of the public “unmoved”, the charity said.
The charity is aiming to raise awareness about chick culling in the egg industry and the way lambs are castrated and aim to have them stopped at launch.
It will also draw attention to brands “which make animals suffer but sell products via ’joyful animal’ marketing and challenge their right to do so”.
The push will be accompanied by PR stunts, “silliness and a podcast featuring famous people talking about whether they’re a bit weird or not”, the charity added.
Read more: What’s new in stores for Veganuary 2025?
“Having managed to sell millions of portions of vegan food to meat-eaters, I feel like I’m beginning to get my head around the quirky dynamics of the public’s feelings on animal welfare,” said Shovel.
“Being prepared to run into a burning building for a dog whilst paying people to put six-month old pigs in gas chambers is just a bit weird. It really is. I aim to explore the various oddities which have become normal, when it comes to how we treat and perceive animals.”
The new charity’s use of the term ’weird’ mirrors the central thrust of this year’s Veganuary campaign, which uses jarring imagery next to the question ‘weird?’ on a series of ads.
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