Mariah Carey stars in Joseph Kahn and AMV BBDO’s Walkers Christmas ad

This is not a drill. The Queen of Christmas, Her Glittery-ness, the one, the only Mariah Carey is the star of Walkers’ new Christmas ad. Devised by agency AMV BBDO and shot by award-winning director Joseph Kahn (who has previously worked with the great and good of musical royalty – think Kylie, Britney and Gaga, to name just a few), it’s the biggest campaign that Walkers has launched to date. And it’s a doozy.

Meta as anything, the ad takes place on the set of a music video, where Mariah is belting out All I Want for Christmas Is You (naturally). But disaster strikes as the shoot wraps up, with both Mariah and a Christmas elf reaching for a packet of Walkers Pigs in Blankets-flavoured crisps at the same time. Refusing to let go, the pop princess issues an ear drum-piercing high note, and the elf has no choice but to relinquish the packet.

Wayne Newton, head of marketing at Walkers, said, “It doesn’t get more Christmassy than Mariah Carey singing All I Want for Christmas. As well as entertaining the nation with our trademark humour, the campaign brilliantly launches our festive flavours for the season. This year is one of the biggest yet for Walkers, with our new campaign, limited-edition flavours and huge on-pack promotion – we hope consumers will love it.”

The film will make its TV debut during the X Factor final this evening (2 November), alongside a 24-hour Twitter campaign throughout the day. Mariah will also grace packets during the holiday season, alongside a promotion that gives crisp-eaters the chance to win all they want for Christmas, including consoles, headphones and socks.

Mariah Carey said in a statement about the new ad, “I had a lot of fun filming this commercial with Walkers. I’ve always loved their crisps from my trips to the UK and everyone knows I love feeling festive, so it was the perfect collaboration for me – it’s also a great way of celebrating the 25th anniversary of All I Want for Christmas Is You!”