A live outdoor feed of pigs living on a farm is being broadcast on an outdoor screen near London’s Westfield in a bid to increase awareness of free-range farming and raise money from mobile shoppers.

Compassion in World Farming is letting people feed the pigs in exchange for a £1 text donation. They are then sent a unique weblink, which connects them to an online broadcast and an accelerometer to operate a machine that scatters apples for the pigs. A personalised message of thanks then appears on the Eat Street digital billboard, owned by Ocean Outdoor, and a phone prompt asks them to make a monthly donation to the animal welfare charity.

The feeding machine, set up for the Tamworth pigs on the organic Wren Davis farm in Buckinghamshire, was designed and built by team of engineers at South Bank University. The campaign was created by the marketing agency Elvis, winners of the Ocean Art of Outdoor competition, which aims to push the creative boundaries in outdoor advertising.

“This live feed event is a ‘first’ not just for Compassion, but for any charity and we feel privileged to be included in Elvis’ interactive concept,” said Emma Slawinski, head of campaigns and advocacy at Compassion in World Farming. “Sadly, 90 per cent of pigs in the EU, are reared on factory farms. We ask Westfield shoppers to support free-range farming by taking part in the live feed event where they will see first-hand that pigs are intelligent, curious and sentient beings and deserve to be reared with the freedom to move and run around.”

The pig feed is being trailed on further outdoor screens on the approaches to London Westfield.