In August 2007 Walkers, supporting its role as an iconic British brand, announced that it would switch to sourcing 100% British potatoes for all its crisps. Following Walkers' carbon label commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, moving to source only British potatoes would reduce food miles, and support British farmers. The move meant that Walkers would be buying an additional 40,000 tonnes of potatoes per year from the UK, on top of the existing 420,000 tonnes.
To inspire and engage consumers about the move, Walkers refreshed its packaging, ran a TV advertising campaign, and used outdoor, press, radio and online communications.
Supporting green holidays
In 2008 Walkers has moved further, and is incentivising consumers to holiday in Britain rather than flying abroad. Walkers' Brit Trips campaign which ran for several months, was designed to inspire consumers with all there is to see and do in Britain, telling them "There's no need to go to the airport. It's all right on your doorstep - this is just one way you can help reduce your family's carbon footprint."
Research conducted with the Energy Savings Trust in advance of the campaign, suggests real carbon emissions will be avoided. To help engage consumers Walkers partnered with a wide number of organisations on the campaign, including the National Trust and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
