Vegan company targets those who have cut down on meat during lockdown with provocative 'M*** F***' campaign

Meatless Farm is hoping to get more Brits to turn to a more plant-based diet
Meatless Farm

A vegan company's "light-hearted" advertising campaign has ruffled some feathers with its suggestion of offensive language.

The £1.5 million campaign, launched on Monday, aims to encourage more Brits to avoid eating meat with the provocative slogan M*** F***.

With lines such as 'Now that's a M*** F*** burger' in its advertisements, Meatless Farm said it hopes to give the nation "a bit of a lift" during the coronavirus lockdown.

But the suggestive language has led to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) saying it would investigate complaints about “decency” after the campaign’s launch, reports the Guardian.

The Leeds-based vegan company said it is aiming to build on huge growth in the UK as customers desire for plant based alternative has risen during the pandemic.

The campaign slogan will appear on 12 electric cars in London
Meatless Farm

A spokesperson from Meatless Farm told the Evening Standard: "We want to show meat-eaters that changing to M*** F*** is not only incredibly easy but also tastes great, even if they make the swap just once a week.

"Grabbing their attention is key. It’s also been a pretty gloomy few months so we wanted to bring some unexpected joy and generate a few smiles.’’

According to the market research company Nielsen, Meatless Farm's sales have nearly tripled with a rise of 179 per cent year on year due to health, environment and welfare factors.

The advertising slogan will appear on TV, radio adverts, 12 branded electric cars across London, social media and supermarket packaging.

“Throughout lockdown we’ve seen a surge in sales, with more and more Brits trying or considering making the swap to plant-based, even if it is just once a week," said Michael Hunter, Meatless Farm's Chief Growth Officer.

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“We felt the nation needed a bit of a lift as it’s been a tough time for everyone, so more than ever we wanted to create something light-hearted and fun that consumers would remember when they are looking for alternatives to meat.”

A new TV advert for the campaign will also feature on Channel 4 throughout August and September.

The Vegan Society welcomed the campaign as a spokesperson for the group said its research showed 20% of the public have cut down on their meat consumption during the lockdown.

"Meatless Farm are right when they say that 'change tastes great' in their latest advertising campaign," said Matt Turner, spokesperson for The Vegan Society.

"Interestingly, half of those who've tried these alternatives over lockdown have committed to keeping them in their shopping baskets in the future. What may have started off as a temporary need at the start of quarantine could very well turn into a permanent shopping habit for many - and that is a testament to the quality and innovation of the alternatives being produced.

"It's clear that there is an appetite for change."

Almost a quarter of all new food products launched in the UK last year were vegan, according to market research firm Mintel.

But livestock farmers are likely to bristle at campaigns that call on Britons to swap to a plant-based diet.

Stuart Roberts, Deputy President of the National Farmers' Union said: "In Britain, our farmers are already leading the way in climate-friendly food production and we have the ambition to be even better, working towards net zero agriculture by 2040.

“We would never dream of telling anyone what they can and cannot eat. But if you want to eat quality, nutritious red meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet and be confident that it’s been sustainably produced, buying British is a great place to start.”

Meatless Farm products are on sale in major supermarket chains including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda, as well as at Wholefood Markets in the US and other global retailers.

The Evening Standard has approached the ASA for further comment.

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