As of today (December 18), users of the Boston Subway may spot Veganuary’s first-ever American advertising campaign. The eye-catching posters feature three of Veganuary’s celebrity and sporting Ambassadors: Sarah-Jane Crawford, Anthony Mullally and Dan Geisler, with each offering a different reason for taking the month-long vegan challenge: to help animals, to protect the environment and to improve health.

Last year, Veganuary’s ad campaign on the London Underground (UK) encouraged 10,000 Londoners to sign up for the 31-day plant-based pledge. This year, the crowdfunded adverts will also feature in Manchester (UK) and Sydney (Australia) as well as in London and Boston.

One advert features British television presenter, Sarah-Jane Crawford, who became vegan after she followed Beyoncé’s lead in 2015 and undertook a three-week plant-based trial. She invited JME from Boy Better Know – the music label that famously signed Drake last year – onto her radio show to talk about all things vegan and from there she was hooked. ‘I felt like it was like a calling. 

“It was almost like destiny for me because it just felt good to do it and it wasn’t something I struggled with. I just had this new sense of empathy, a compassion for animals that I’d never had before. Going vegan was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, if not the best decision.”

For Ireland international rugby league player Anthony Mullally, the transition to a vegan diet was a gradual one. He first cut out red meat, then white meat, then fish, and was vegetarian for a year before looking into the dairy industry. The environmental aspect of it shocked him, especially its contribution to greenhouse gases. “I started to feel like a bit of a hypocrite. I don’t mean any disrespect to vegetarians but for me personally, I just couldn’t do it anymore.” Again, Anthony reports going vegan was a good decision. “There have not been any detrimental effects on my strength, and strength’s a crucial part of rugby. I’ve maintained muscle and lost fat. On the pitch I feel fitter, I’ve got more energy and I recover quicker, which helps me train harder in the next session.”

Triathlete Dan Geisler was challenged by his sponsor, Pulsin, to take part in Veganuary 2017. He enjoyed the challenge of it but he really saw the benefits when he came to race. “I’ve never been faster, never been able to recover quicker, never looked better, I’ve never raced better. I find that I can actually go deeper in races, and get more out of my body.” Eight months after going vegan, Dan picked up a silver medal at the World Championships. “I went vegan for a challenge, and I’ve stayed vegan because it’s offered benefits to my life, better recovery, just in general better health.”v