Shop Your Values Week FlashMob Found Guilty

NOTE: This is a guest post from our friends at Ethikus
On Thursday, April 19^th 2012, Shop Your Values Week, SYVW, held its first FlashMob Pro-Taste At 4food – located on 40^th and Madison. The event took place from 11:30-1:00pm and featured roughly 20 protesters, all of which were equipped with reverse-protest signs. Some of the slogans among the SYVW FlashMob included:

4Food has the audacity to provide HealthCare & Dental Benefits!
Join the movement; join the fun; buy from businesses doing it right!!!
We’re not actually pissed. We’re happy to be here!!!

The SYVW Pro-Taste FlashMob generated quite a buzz amongst the local community. Patrons of 4Food and passers-by alike shared in laughter once realizing the lighthearted nature of SYVW’s pro-taste.

“Protests generate energy,” said Jeff Hittner, CEO and cofounder of ethikus. “We wanted to harness that kind of energy towards something positive, and judging by the reaction from New Yorkers we succeeded.”

Along with the smiles and laughter, the SYVW FlashMob gave away posters and postcards to roughly 150 people – all of which took strong interest in joining Shop Your Values Week’s ultimate mission: creating support for an ethical, local, and sustainable economy in NYC by connecting thousands of conscientious consumers with hundreds of ethical and sustainable businesses from May 3^rd – 10^th.

The SYVW FlashMob was not only approached by curious passers-by. Fifteen minutes into the pro-taste four NYPD squad cars showed up onto the scene. Initially, they thought the SYVW FlashMob to be members of Occupy Wall Street. But after a quick scan of the signs and a few conversations with SYVW pro-tasters, the once long-faced NYPD officers turned to smiles.

Photos of the FlashMob Pro-Taste are available via Shop Your Values Week’s Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethikus/sets/72157629491655582/

About 4Food

4Food is a greenlisted fast food restaurant located on 40^th and Madison that serves local organic food and consistently meets the standards of an ethical and sustainable business. Their mission is to bring fast food that’s fresh, delicious, and nutritious to all ages, lifestyles, incomes, and ethnicities. No fads, fillers, or anything artificial is in their food. They upgrade food that people eat, transforming them into new menu items that are convenient, and almost infinitely customizable to their guests’ lifestyles and cultural preferences.

About Ethikus

Ethikus surveys and maintains a database of local NYC establishments based on their day-to-day practices in community engagement, employee care, product sourcing and environmental mitigation. With Ethikus, conscientious consumers can find and choose local businesses that share their values, from composting to energy efficiency, employee healthcare to community donations, and more. The intention of Ethikus is to inspire a movement towards sustainable consumption on a large scale by removing the primary barriers to better purchasing decisions – lack of information, perceived higher prices and complacency.

Photo courtesy of ethikus.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Ryan Y.

1:27AM PDT on May 23, 2013

Thanks for sharing!

May 23
send a green star

Angelene B.

8:03AM PDT on May 22, 2013

Sounds like fun!

May 22
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Amandine S.

2:38AM PDT on May 20, 2013

Thanks

May 20
send a green star

Michael H.

10:38PM PDT on May 19, 2013

Fantastic keep up the good work!

May 19
send a green star

Bryna P.

1:27PM PDT on May 1, 2013

Thank you!

May 1
send a green star

9:10PM PDT on Apr 23, 2013

April 23
send a green star

Elena B.

9:15AM PDT on Apr 11, 2013

Thank you.

April 11
send a green star

Darren W.

5:07AM PDT on Mar 17, 2013

Thanks for the news... Interesting that the term "fast food" has double meaning, meaning that societies/cultures are in such a rush, they gobble down food, as if it's not an important aspect of life, whereas what you eat can affect your entire life...