• by Fern Siegel , February 2, 2024

Edie Falco is best known as Carmela Soprano. Decades later, she's confronting a violent world again — only this time in PETA's Super Bowl Sunday ad.

More specifically, after learning Super Bowl ads on YouTube reached 20% more viewers than traditional TV, PETA decided to stream the ad on YouTube during the game. It will also air on TV in New Jersey, where "The Sopranos" were set.

Creative director Chris Carl worked with director DeMaine Davis from Sweet Rickey, with post-production by Editbar.

In the new spot, Falco is making pizza, her vegetables and cheese neatly laid out on the counter. Suddenly, two dangerous-looking thugs burst in and take her cheese, as she weeps desperately for its return. She chases after their getaway truck when the scene cuts to footage of a mother cow chasing after a truck as it carts off her calf.

The text reads: “Cheese isn’t your baby. But it robs a mother of hers. Go vegan.”

“Once people think about severing the bond between mother cows and their beloved calves, it’s a fair bet that many of them will say ‘fuhgeddaboudit’ to cheese,” said Ingrid Newkirk PETA president. “PETA’s downloadable vegan starter kits are available for everyone who wants to kick off kinder eating habits in 2024 and beyond.”

Cows used for dairy are forcibly inseminated, since they only produce milk after giving birth and farmers want a constant supply. Once they are unable to bear calves, they are sent for slaughter. According to PETA, vegans save nearly 200 animals each year and improves their own health, claiming they are less prone to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.