In honor of World Farm Animals Day (October 2), the organization, FARM — or the Farm Animal Rights Movement — has a new online video challenge under way that you need to care about for 3 very important — literally, life or death — reasons.
The challenge, which asks you to “spread compassion for billions of lives,” offers unique incentives to put lots of eyeballs on their new 4-minute video, 10 Billion Lives, that goes inside the horrific world of factory farming. After having watched the video myself, I can attest that it is, yes, gruesome (you can’t get around that issue when exposing animal agriculture), but, more importantly, is one of the strongest short videos about farmed animals I have ever seen. It’s the type of video that everyone needs to see, and because of FARM’s approach — which I wouldn’t call “gentle,” but, rather, a necessary balance of animals in horrific captivity contrasted with lovely shots of liberated ones — has tremendous potential to reach the masses, far beyond just the vegan choir.
FARM thinks so too. That’s where the contest component comes in. Between September 2 and October 2 (World Farm Animals Day), they are asking both activists and organizations to sign up to “host” their own personalized URL of the video (such as www.10billionlives.com/ourhenhouse, or www.10billionlives.com/YOURNAMEHERE), and then pass around that link to everyone you’ve ever met in your entire life. The goal is to get people to watch the full 4-minute video, and then complete the form at the video’s conclusion (using your unique URL). To motivate you (as if you need more motivation beyond just spreading the word about animal suffering), they are offering some sweet prizes. Admittedly, I’m all for that, because not only do I believe strongly in this video — and in the power of the moving image as a means to create change — but I also love me some gifts.
There are 2 separate competition groups — individual activists, and non-profits. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get the most forms filled out by people who used your url to get there (again, the forms are filled out by people after they watch the 4-minute flick). Here are the prizes:
Non-Profit Organizations:
Grand Prize (1): Your choice between a $1,000 Sabina Fund grant to use toward your life-saving work or a Bronze Sponsorship for the Animal Rights 2013 National Conference. (Be sure to read the fine print.)
Runner-Up (1): A free table for your organization at the Animal Rights 2013 National Conference in Washington, DC!
Individual Activists:
Grand Prize (1): A Vitamix 5200 high-speed blender, along with a $200 gift certificate to Food Fight! Vegan Grocery.
1st Runner-Up (1): $200 gift certificate to Herbivore Clothing
2nd Runner-Up (1): 10 AMC movie tickets
3rd Runners-Up (5): 2 AMC movie tickets
Back to my 3 reasons why you need to care about FARM’s Online Video Challenge:
- The video, 10 Billion Lives, is just amazing. Really powerful and evocative, yet approachable and not overly-gruesome.
- Our Hen House is a non-profit (a tiny one that needs your help!), and so we really very much hope you will follow our URL (www.10billionlives.com/ourhenhouse), watch the 4-minute video, and then fill out the post-video online form. Oh, and please (pretty please?) spread the word to, well, everyone you’ve ever met in your entire life. High five! (Incidentally, and in all seriousness, the $1,000 grant that is offered to the non-profit winner would go a very, very long way for us in our efforts to build a strong voice for animals. We are launching an online magazine later this year and so this is a perfect time for some charity. We are reader and listener supported and your help with this goes a long way for us.)
- Oh yeah — this isn’t actually about us, is it? So that brings me to the 3rd reason why you should care. It’s because, even though I want to win the non-profit contest (and I am confident we would use the winning money to continue our work mainstreaming the movement to end the exploitation of animals), more importantly, I want this video to be seen by the masses, and I want countless people to go vegan and get involved with changing the world for animals as a result of what they see. At the end of the day, I don’t care how they see it, as long as they do. So sign up for the challenge yourself, and start spreading the word. A little incentive never hurt anyone (particularly those who never want to hurt animals).
One last thing. Word to the wise, here. It looks like FARM has updated its registration form, but when I initially registered, I found the form a little confusing. So this might help you: There are only 2 fields you need to worry about — all asterisk fields under “your information” (name, email, zip code); and, under “details for your event,” they only need the date. The very patient people at FARM informed me that since the contest runs from September 2 to October 1 — World Farm Animals Day — you should probably use those dates (and don’t worry about the time).
Here’s that link again.