Pringles’ mascot Mr. P is cleanshaven in support of Movember.

The Kellanova snack brand is the official Canadian partner of men’s global health charity, Movember, donating $125,000 to support the cause and launching a social media campaign featuring conversation starters to help men break the silence on mental health. The campaign plays off of the brand’s desire to “change the face of men’s mental health,” by literally changing the face of its mascot.

“Pringles has always been about finding the fun in everyday moments and, through our Movember partnership, we’re taking this to the next level to help men start real conversations around their mental wellbeing,” says Nicole Gawen, Canada marketing and wellbeing lead, Kellanova Canada.

The snack brand sent Pringles containers to key Canadian content creators, but instead of chips, each featured an interactive card game, “Fine is a crime” to help men open up.

The campaign is the first time that We Are Social, the shop appointed for the Movember initiative’s strategy and creative, has worked with Pringles in Canada. Globally, Pringles has partnered with the cause since 2020.

We Are Social creative director Karen King explains that when men say “I’m fine,” there’s always fine print involved, and the phrase represents a barrier woven into the social narrative. However, with Pringles working to be seen as an everyday approachable brand, having a bit of levity was a good entryway into more serious conversations around mental health, which can often seem daunting. King tells strategy the iconic ‘stache is a nice alignment with the Movember cause.

Pringles has had fun with Mr. P’s facial hair before. In a 2021 collab with Wendy’s, Pringles gave the QSR’s pigtailed eponymous mascot a bushy mustache makeover to promote its Baconator LTO.

In addition to the national Movember social media campaign, a media tactic chosen because it’s very “conversation-based,” according to King, Pringles will conduct an internal fundraising initiative with its Kellanova colleagues too.

Starcom handled the media buy, and Strategic Objectives the PR.

Kellanova finalized its split from Kellogg’s cereal business this fall, while naming its Canadian leadership team.