Animal rights organisation PETA is asking the British public to ‘Kill the tradition, not a turkey’ with its animated 2023 Christmas ad starring the voice of Jane Horrocks.
The brainchild of creative agency House 337, the campaign from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urges people to embrace a new Christmas tradition and stop killing turkeys. It is the latest in a line of often-controversial ads from the organisation.
A powerful 90-second film sees Tessa the Turkey, voiced by actor Jane Horrocks, singing a reworded version of ‘Deck the Halls’, commenting on the quirky festive customs she encounters on her journey through a picturesque Christmas town.
The film takes a sobering turn when Tessa realises that she, too, is part of a Christmas tradition. It ends with the call to “Kill the tradition not a turkey. Try vegan this Christmas”.
Launching online from 15 November and in cinemas from December, the campaign will also include shorter versions of the ad across PETA’s social media channels as well as influencer and PR activations.
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PETA VP of programs and operations Elisa Allen said the organisation’s aim was to “get people thinking, shake up the status quo and change hearts and habits”.
“Tradition doesn’t excuse cruelty, and we’re sure that this touching spot will encourage viewers to think about who is on their plate – and inspire them to leave turkeys and other animals off the table this Christmas.”
House 337 creative director Steve Hawthorne added: “Many of us are guilty of sleepwalking into ordering turkey at Christmas without actually knowing why or, in many cases, even particularly enjoying it. So we wanted to highlight that doing something just because it’s tradition without actually questioning why and what the consequences are isn’t really good enough.”
British actor, Jane Horrocks, said she was “proud to be giving a voice to Tessa”, adding that she hopes the spot “encourages kind souls everywhere to explore vegan dishes that offer some peace on Earth to animals this festive season”.
The seasonal collaboration between PETA and House 337 follows the success of Red River Farm, which was released earlier this year to highlight the cruelty of using animal-derived materials in fashion.
