The Humane Society of the United States had a very specific goal in mind: to apply pressure to the Meijer grocery store chain to commit to selling only cage-free eggs in their 200+ stores. AWM’s concept demonstrated, in the most visceral way possible, what life is like for egg-laying hens in cramped battery cages to encourage Meijer to make the switch.
AWM took over the elevators at the historic Homer Building in Washington, D.C. for a day and put 15 dedicated actors through an exercise in patience and stamina. It was a long day, but everyone had a good time working for an important cause.
The result was a highly-shareable video that far exceeded its targeted goal. At the mere threat of HSUS releasing this video, Meijer announced they would be going cage-free by 2025.
Along with HSUS, AWM quickly repurposed this PSA to target Publix and its more than 1,100 stores – and they too soon announced plans to commit to selling only cage-free eggs.