Gary Lineker is to take a back seat in the latest ad for the Walkers range following a brand revamp.

The former England striker - who has been associated with Walkers for almost 20 years - retains his brand ambassador role but will be less prominent in its new ad, as brand owner PepsiCo shifts the marketing message to provenance in its latest push.

The new campaign focuses on Three Simple Things that make up the crisps: 100% British potatoes, Sunseed oil and seasonings with no artificial colours or preservatives. Activity kicks off this week with the roll-out of new-look packaging across the core Walkers range. A flash added to the front of packs flags up the 100% British potatoes, while backs of packs now feature an illustrated panel highlighting the Three Simple Things.

The push will continue with in-store marketing activity, nationwide sampling and a new TV push next month with Lineker.

“With shoppers increasingly interested in the provenance of their food, as well as the taste, this is the perfect time to remind them about the Three Simple Things that go into a packet of Walkers crisps,” said Walkers marketing director Miranda Sambles, who added that the revamp followed research that found two-thirds of retailers couldn’t identify the three things that make up Walkers crisps.

With the crisp market increasingly focused on real food values, health and wholesomeness, it wasn’t surprising that PepsiCo wanted to slightly reposition Walkers, said Don Williams, CEO of branding agency Pi Global.

“They’re obviously not going to throw out the large-eared baby with the bath water, because he is their number one equity, and he continues to provide the affinity and sense of fun around the brand,” he said.

“To help them compete though, not just against the Pringles of the world but also against the likes of Burts and Tyrrell’s, they have opted to dial up the ‘Britishness’ as well as the ‘healthier’ and ‘simple’ messages.”

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Walkers hails Crinkles launch as ‘biggest in five years’ (21 March 2011)

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