In a bid to help the nation open up and promote the importance of talking and humor for mental wellbeing, Walkers has released its Christmas campaign in partnership with Comic Relief that encourages people to share with each other more than just their snacks.

Where research shows the current climate has had a great impact on people’s mental health, Walker’s Christmas campaign reinforces the importance of togetherness and shows how talking with loved ones about our feelings can help improve wellbeing. 

At the center of the campaign is a video featuring a voiceover from radio presenter and mental wellbeing ambassador Roman Kemp. A previous version of the ad aired digitally in 2021 but it has been re-edited and voiced over by Kemp in light of some research from Walkers that found that nearly every other time (38%) a person in Britain says that they’re ‘fine’, they’re not being honest. Something which is even more prevalent at Christmas, where over half (52%) of UK adults admit they feel additional pressure to be happy.

Building upon these findings the film follows protagonist, Larry, at a festive family party where Larry is accompanied by an emoji that displays what he’s really feeling while he puts on a brave face tackling different familiar Christmas scenes talking with family and friends.

During the final scene of the ad, Larry finds himself in the kitchen with his friend who asks him “how are you?”. Larry replies with “I’m fine” but his friend goes on to curiously ask “how are you really?”. Larry opens up and the two friends go on to share a laugh with each other over Larry’s Christmas jumper. This final scene highlights the importance of talking and reminds audiences to sometimes question the “I’m fine” answer and think about how someone is really feeling.

Whilst for many Christmas is a time of fun and togetherness, for others the festive season can feel lonely. “We know that Christmas can be a challenging time for many, and the pressure to appear positive and pretend everything is ‘fine’, even if it’s not, is particularly strong at this time of year.” said Philippa Pennington from Walkers.

In partnering with Comic Relief and mental health ambassador Roman Kemp, Walker’s Christmas campaign manages to strike the right tone, acting as a great reminder to check in with loved ones at Christmas whilst also holding on to the humorous nature of the brand that usually doesn’t condone sharing at least when it comes to crisps.