Sarson’s Fryday Campaign Returns on National Fish & Chip Day to Help Save the UK's Beloved Chippies from Closure

Launching today, Sarson’s Fryday campaign aims to save the nation’s chippies from closure. Returning bigger than ever before the initiative features an unmissable chip art installation, a cover-wrap, and the chance for consumers to get their hands on hundreds of portions of free Fish & Chips across the UK on June 2nd - National Fish & Chip Day. 

Running until February 2024, this is one of Sarson’s most significant activations to date, with 50 free portions of chips available each Friday, amounting to a one-tonne chip-tastic give-away across the campaign's duration. 

The original Sarson’s Fryday campaign was ideated by W Communications in 2022 to drive awareness of the rising price of the key ingredients required to create our national dish – the lip-smacking chippy tea. These increased costs were being felt by the consumer, already living under the financial strain of the cost-of-living crisis, and subsequently putting chip shops across the UK in danger of closure due to lack of customers. 

The 2023 Sarson’s Fryday campaign lands as the threat of mass chip shop closures ricochets across UK news headlines. This year, the campaign has evolved and focuses on one clear message – if that nation goes to their local chip shop just twice more a year, they can help to stem the tide of predicted closures of more chippies in just 12 months. This year, W communications has also enrolled the National Federation of Fish Fryers as the authoritative voice of the nation’s Fish & Chip shop industry. 

To add fun and joy to the campaign, W Communications creative alongside W Studio & Events, have produced an eye-catching ‘ode to the chippy’ in the form of a giant golden chip installed on the West-Sussex coastline and three unlimited chip giveaways - teased through TikTok content created by the W’s Social team, which will include cameo appearances by TikTok influencers cast by W’s Talent and Influencer division. 

As part of this year’s Sarson’s Fryday, creative agency Wonderhood Studios devised a rousing call-to-arms to launch the campaign that brought to life the delicious taste of one of the UK’s most-loved meals. Naturally, fish and chips are known for coming in newsprint paper, so there was only one way to get Brits craving a visit to the chippy and saving our beloved establishment – via a striking Metro newspaper cover wrap, which rolled out nationwide on the 1st of June. Media planning and buying were handled by the independent media agency Bicycle.

Vanni Cataldi, Marketing Director at Mizkan, said; “Now in its second year, Sarson’s Fryday continues to have one aim; to support the Fish & Chip shop industry during unequivocally challenging operational conditions - a result of which has seen many operators sadly having to shut their doors and switch off their fryers in droves. 

This campaign was devised to drive footfall into outlets, putting money directly into the tills of the hard-working Chippy operators who keep this iconic British culinary institution alive, whilst rewarding consumers with the chance to get their chippy tea, for free. 

Wherever Brits plan to splosh on the Sarson’s this summer and beyond, we urge them to visit their local chippy.”

Scott Dimbleby, creative director at W Communications, adds:  “This campaign has been a joy to develop with the client and cross-agency partners – with multiple teams contributing to celebrate and support the iconic ‘Chippy Tea’ with the authenticity and celebratory tone that only Sarson’s can deliver.” 

Tad Buxton & India Penny, creatives at Wonderhood Studios, said: “When we found out how many chippies are at risk of closing, we wanted to do something simple to help them. Using the media of newsprint that fish and chips typically comes in was a no-brainer: what better way to evoke the nostalgia of chippies and the taste of this memorable British icon?

The ambition was to make commuters feel like the fish and chips are really there on the Metro cover. As if a chippy owner has just cooked them up, doused them in Sarson’s and slapped them down — complete with Sarson’s splashes and cooking oil bleeding through the newsprint. The fish and chips are printed completely to scale in mouth-watering detail, driving people to get in a Friday chippy tea.”