Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, whether it’s the yearly stress of getting everything done by the end of the year or a lonely time with no one to talk to, even if you have everyone to talk to. Walkers has recognized the importance of speaking openly about mental wellness by teaming up with Roman kemp Y comic relief for its 2022 Christmas advert, with Kemp’s narration updating the piece after a 2021 proof.
The ad, which has already been screened on digital channels since November 25 but will be broadcast on terrestrial television Starting December 1, it features the main character Larry at a festive family party. Larry is accompanied by a smileyssubconsciously showing how he really feels as Larry puts on a brave face in different classic Christmas scenarios with family and friends.
During the final scene of the commercial, Larry is in the kitchen with his friend who asks him “how are you?”, to which Larry replies “I’m fine”. His friend continues to curiously ask “how are you really?”, to which Larry opens up and the two friends laugh among themselves over Larry’s Christmas jumper. The scene is designed to highlight the importance of speaking up and so others don’t take terms like “I’m fine” at face value.
Walkers were urged to create the advert after research that almost every other time (38%) a person in Britain says they are “fine”, they are not being honest. This is even more prevalent at Christmas, with more than half (52%) of UK adults admitting they feel extra pressure to be happy over the festive season and pretending everything is fine.
Having provided the announcement narrative for 2022, Capital FM Breakfast Host Roman Kemp spoke about the importance of the announcement at this time of year: “As someone who has been open about his own battle with mental health and has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of people suppressing their feelings, this is a campaign very close. to my heart.
“Let’s stop saying we’re fine because we think it’s polite, or because we think it’s what the other person wants to hear. Most of the time, if a friend or family member asks how you are doing, they really want to know because they care.”
As well as raising awareness for mental wellbeing over Christmas, the advert also highlights the ongoing efforts between Walkers and Comic Relief, with £2m over the last two years donated by the crisp maker to Comic Relief to support wellbeing programmes. mental.
“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 isn’t, is particularly strong at this time of year,” said Philippa Pennington, a spokeswoman for Walkers. “The message of our Christmas campaign, which can help you open up and talk about your feelings, is very important and we hope we can encourage people to talk a little more this festive season.”
“We are proud to see our £2m donation to Comic Relief and mental wellbeing projects benefit, and we look forward to continuing to raise smiles and get the nation talking this Christmas.”
If you have mental health issues, remember that you are not alone and it is okay to not be okay. For help or to talk to someone, samaritans They are available by calling 116 123 or by texting SHOUT to 85258 24 hours a day. For those who can’t text or call, please email [email protected] and a team member will be back with you within 24 hours.
