In 2006, Walkers crisps experienced it’s first decline in sales in more than 10 years. Over half of all sales are at lunch, and worryingly this was the aperture most in decline. Research showed that our core consumers, young adults, were abandoning the brand, and that they were losing their lunch breaks. We needed to reinvigorate the appeal of Walkers, and get our audience to reconnect with the brand. Embracing Walkers’ lighthearted personality, we took a radically new and bold experiential approach; rallying the nation to bring back the British lunchtime. We inspired the nation to LUNCH HAPPY!

25 million people reachedNearly 2 million actively took part 66,000 samples6,000 deckchairs now in homes, keeping the campaign alive Huge attitudinal shiftsBoots had its biggest sales day ever18% increase in sales 10 million extra bags in one week!Lunch Happy – a legend in its own lunchtime!

For a week we partnered with the nation’s biggest newspaper, radio and online media. Press advertorials, radio promotions, online media, and a bespoke microsite rallied support, counting down to ‘Lunch Happy Friday’.

On the day, media gave one last push, as iconic venues across 111 sites nationwide were covered with 6000 branded deckchairs. Incredibly, DJ’s shut stations down over lunch, playing our content and music alone, as they hosted outside broadcasts alongside entertainers and sampling teams.

We got the nation lamenting their lost luncheons, with the biggest media championing our cause. To maximise involvement, press, radio and online were choreographed to first build up, and then count down to the event.

Impossible to miss across eight cities, sites included Big Ben, Covent Garden and Edinburgh Castle. Having inspired consumers to ‘Lunch Happy’, it ended with us liberating the deckchairs, turning consumers into moving billboards on transport and high streets nationwide.