- New manifesto from Wall's suggests happiness lies in social
connections and communities whilst also calling for happiness to
become a recognised marker of social progress
LONDON, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new
manifesto from global ice cream brand Wall's, people across the
world are calling for happiness to be recognised as a marker for
social progress. Launched at Goals House, the telling insight
has been revealed as part of the findings from a global survey
exploring the effects of lockdowns on people's perceptions of
happiness.
Titled "Wall's Manifesto for a Happier World", the
manifesto includes research from Wall's conducted in 12 different
countries across the globe, surveying 12,500 people, which reveals
that:
- 65% say interactions with people during lockdown changed
their outlook on happiness
- 78% now feel strongly that happiness and wellbeing should be
prioritised over money
- 63% want their government to take action to put happiness
before economic recovery
- 58% found human connection is what really makes them
happy
- 76% admitted they knew more about celebrities' lives than
their own neighbours'
(but this has changed during lockdown)
- 62% said that lockdown has made them feel more part of their
community
The Wall's manifesto reflects on last year and argues that
global lockdowns drove people to re-evaluate life's priorities. For
too long people have been looking for happiness in the wrong places
and the isolation from family and friends has given us a renewed
appreciation for the importance of human connections and community
support in our lives.
Speaking about the manifesto, Happiness Expert, LSE Professor
and co-author of the World Happiness Report, Lord Richard Layard said: "What we see in the data
in this manifesto is an indication of a wider societal shift;
for too long people have linked material possessions, financial
prosperity and success to happiness. And whilst these are
undoubtedly important, people are coming to the realisation that it
is human relationships and connections that bring true meaning and
happiness to one's life. This is a topic I have dedicated many
decades to, and it's promising to see this realisation gathering
momentum."
Society's clear desire to rethink how national development is
measured presents an opportunity to change the current system,
which overlooks happiness and wellbeing. As official partners of
the UN SDSN World Happiness Report, Wall's is committed to boosting
the happiness movement so that governments prioritise the happiness
of their citizens.
World-renowned economics professor and senior UN advisor
Jeffrey Sachs said: "People in
every culture and society share common hopes and aspirations for a
better world. Increased global connectedness depends on a strong
home base of family and community. That's the beauty of an
interconnected world: meaning starts at home and reaches the entire
planet."
Wall's will be working throughout 2021 and beyond to bring
academics, policy makers, businesses, communities and activists
together to consider how we can develop a blueprint for a future
where happiness is considered a measure of development.
By doing this, and celebrating community togetherness and social
connections, we'll be able to create a better world and live a
happier future.
Ian Maskell, Vice President at
Wall's, said: "Wall's provides the world with 28 billion
portions of happiness each year. Our experience of spreading
happiness and bringing people together makes us determined to lead
the global movement to prioritise happiness. Human beings are
happiest when well connected with friends, family and community.
Wall's is in the business of creating social connections, please
join us in making the world a happier place."
Electronic copies of the manifesto can be viewed at:
https://www.unilever.com/Images/walls-manifesto_tcm244-558473_en.pdf
NOTE TO THE EDITORS
About Wall's
Wall's commitment to happiness is deeply embedded in the
company.
Wall's is the largest and most loved ice cream brand globally.
At the turn of the last century, our founders took over streets
across the globe to spread their ice-cream magic. The result?
Happier hearts opening up to each other. Their vision inspired us
to continue to act as leaders in driving social change. We know
that ice-creams reliably offer people small moments of happiness,
with UK researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry revealing that
when ice cream is consumed, it lights up the brain's pleasure zones
providing an immediate effect on the parts of the brain known to
activate when people are enjoying themselves. We believe that, as a
brand, we can play a huge role in building a happier more inclusive
world, one street at a time.
The brand also upholds principles for responsible food &
beverage marketing to children, adopting new thinking when it comes
to where, what and how it communicates to parents & children.
Wall's was the first global ice cream brand to carry the
'Responsibly made for kids' promise.
Since 2013 Wall's has been working with partners on a programme
called Vanilla for Change in Madagascar. It's designed to help smallholder
farmers improve their livelihoods and provide Wall's ice cream with
more secure and sustainable sources of natural vanilla.
For more information about Wall's:
https://www.unilever.com/brands/foods-and-refreshment/heartbrand/happier-together.html
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1424396/Walls_Happiness_Manifesto.jpg