“Eat a Swede” satirically promotes cultivated human meat

In France, a playfully macabre short film encouraging the consumption of people—specifically, Swedish people, going by the film’s title “Eat a Swede” and tagline “go Swegan”—has won the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes Lions festival. 

Commissioned by the Swedish Food Federation and created by McCann Stockholm, the 18-minute film uses shock value to promote alternative, earth-friendly proteins and highlight the negative environmental impact of global food production. 

Alexander Skarsgård of Tarzan and True Blood fame makes an appearance, saying the idea of cultivated human meat “sounds delicious.”  Swedish scientist Dr. Erik Karlsson contributes his thoughts on the potential for lab-grown human meat to address the planet’s growing population and limited food supply. 

“This ad was very much aligned to the brand purpose and mission of the Swedish Food Federation—which promotes food safety and standards,” Entertainment Lion jury president and ex-Vivendi senior vp Maria Garrido tells Ad Week.  “However, this turned category conventions on their head and flipped the story completely… It’s masterfully scripted, and the use of humor was so intelligently done to convey a serious message. We looked at this case as purpose 2.0.”