Plants emit sound. Subway has created a grime track based on those sounds. It’s a wild idea that draws attention to Subway’s plant-based menu around World Earth Day and champions veganism (clearly something the chain’s biggest competitors could not do). The campaign, created by agency, Above+Beyond, brought together grime artist, P Money, and producers, Star.One, (all vegan) launch the world-first track called Vegang. It aims to appeal top Subway’s Gen Z audience – a demographic that will be looking for brands that take action this World Earth Day.
The track was created by extracting sound emissions from the plants used in Subway’s plant-based menu, using PlantWave technology, which detects electrical variations via electrodes placed on the leaves.
Accompanying the track, and a TikTok video to announce the launch, the back story to the collaboration has been captured in a filmed documentary, directed by youth icon, Jamal Edwards MBE, and developed with production partners, RadicalMedia and Wake The Town. In the film, which will be broadcast across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, P Money and Star.One discuss the innovative process of developing the grime track, as well as the benefits they feel due to their vegan lifestyles and the importance of caring for the planet.
Dom Goldman, executive creative director at Above+Beyond, stated, “Creating a grime track with legendary artist and vegan, P Money and Star.One, made from Subway’s plants, is crazy. It’s a different shape of work that celebrates veganism and Subway’s commitment to it, in a manner which doesn’t feel like an ad. Genuine entertainment for a young audience, and incredibly exciting for the entire team to be making this kind of work. It was important to us that the artists had free rein to create an authentic grime track they would be proud of. While this story is a serious one, it’s been delivered with a tongue in cheek ode to plant-based food.”
Star.One added, “P Money is someone we’ve been working with for years, we’ve done loads of tracks together. To link up for this collaboration is the perfect match. You have to move with the times, people are demanding more vegan options, so the fact that Subway is getting involved, it’s wicked.”
Angie Gosal, marketing director at Subway UK&I, commented, “As more people champion plant-based lifestyles, we’re excited to be involved in the release of the first ever grime track made from plant sounds! With our ever-expanding vegan range, World Earth Day felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate Subway now having one of the biggest and tastiest plant-based menus on the high street, to offer you even more choice.”
The Plant-Based Beats will run in the UK and Ireland for one month. The track itself became available on TikTok on April 22, and may be streamed via Spotify in May.
Credits:
Agency: Above+Beyond
Production Company: Radical Media
Director: Jamal Edwards
DoP: Lewis Knaggs
Editor: Lewis Knaggs
Producer: Ali Khalil
Executive Producers: Ben Schneider & Jodie Brooks
Post Production & Sound Design: No.8
Music Supervision: Wake The Town
