Andy Devaney
If you’ve ever watched a group of British men attempt an emotional conversation, you’ll know it’s a bit like asking a crab to tap-dance: technically possible, but everyone’s uncomfortable and somebody ends up retreating sideways. Which is why Joe Marler turning up in East London and effectively stapling his feelings to the skyline feels less like a Valentine’s stunt and more like a public service announcement delivered with the subtlety of a lineout maul.
New research commissioned by Beavertown suggests our fellas love their friends… in theory. A whopping 85% of British men say their mates are among the most important people in their lives, yet 62% have never told a friend they love them, and 90% admit they never talk about anything serious. That’s not a friendship group, that’s a WhatsApp chat full of football clips and “u up?” energy.
So Beavertown has teamed up with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to launch ‘Tell a Mate Why You Love Them’ this Valentine’s Day—fronted by real-life friends Joe Marler and broadcaster Chris Stark. The idea is simple: challenge men to push past the awkwardness, stop hiding behind the safety blanket of banter, and say what they actually feel.
The moment Hackney Wick got a lot more emotional
The campaign launched in London with Joe Marler springing a surprise on Chris that was about as “low-key” as a marching band in a library. Joe rolled down an 8 by 10 metre sign over the side of the Wallis Road bridge in Hackney Wick, near the Olympic Park, declaring their friendship “loud and clear”.
The message read, “I LOVE YOU CHRIS STARK – YOUR MATE, JOE MARLER”.
It’s not every day a man says “I love you” to a mate using what appears to be the same kind of canvas normally reserved for blockbuster movie adverts or warnings about sinkholes. But then again, Joe Marler has never been one for the quiet option.
Men want the chat — they just don’t know how to start it
Here’s the part that sticks: Beavertown’s research shows two-thirds of men (67%) believe their mental health would benefit if they could open up more with their mates. Yet a big chunk of them still treat emotional honesty like it’s a parking ticket—best avoided and never mentioned.
That’s why Joe Marler’s declaration is meant as a rallying cry: not to copy the bridge banner (though you do you), but to normalise the sentiment behind it. As Joe himself put it:
“I love Chris, but I’ve never told him. Hopefully printing it on a massive sign gets the message across. Men care about their mates, but we don’t always say it out loud and 54% of us think “it’s not the done thing”. Saying ‘I love you’ doesn’t have to be as extreme as I’ve done it, but my mates have helped me through tough times, and if you love someone, you should say it.”
That quote lands because it’s both hilarious and painfully familiar: the emotional truth, delivered with a wink, then immediately followed by a reminder that mates really do get you through the hard stuff. If you’ve ever been carried through a rough patch by someone who pretended it was “nothing” at the time, you know exactly what he means.
Banter: Britain’s favourite emotional disguise
The research also found that 73% of men would like to go beyond surface-level chat and have deeper conversations with friends. But instead—because we are who we are—76% admit they’re more likely to hide affection in “banter”.
When men do try to show they care, it often comes out in a code only other men can decode. The data says 39% buy their mates a pint. Meanwhile 36% opt for the awkward “man hug,” with a fist bump (27%) or high five (24%) trailing behind like emotional training wheels. It’s affection, just expressed like a poorly signalled roundabout.
Love letters, but make them blokey
Alongside Joe Marler and Chris Stark, Beavertown has been helping real-life mates across the country say “I love you” to their best friends for the first time—using grand gestures with a wink and a heart.
Among the reveals:
- A personalised billboard from Kofi to his friend Jack near their old house in Streatham
- A four-foot Hollywood-style letter message overlooking the Glasgow skyline, as Adam surprised childhood friend Ciaran
- Fake band posters plastering Camden with messages of love from PJ to his best mate Mandeep
- A Bradford curry house reveal, where a giant menu banner declared love from Leon to Ryan
It’s big, it’s daft, it’s genuinely moving—and it’s exactly the kind of permission slip some men need to say something real without feeling like they’ve turned up to the pub wearing a wedding veil.
CALM: friendships can be a lifeline
CALM’s CEO Simon Gunning made the point plainly—because plain is often what’s needed: “Strong friendships can be a lifeline, yet many men struggle to open up to those closest to them. The real-life stories featured in this campaign show how expressing appreciation can strengthen bonds and have a positive impact on mental health.
Working with Beavertown to encourage men to take that first step is a simple but powerful way to highlight the value of friendship.”
In other words: your mate doesn’t need you to be a therapist. He might just need you to be honest.
Why Beavertown’s leaning into it
Beavertown’s Managing Director Jochen Van Esch is betting that pubs—where mates naturally gather—can be more than a place to discuss referees and fantasy teams:
“Pubs bring mates together, but conversations often stay on the surface. Over the past few years we have worked with CALM to break the norms around mental health in order to help people open up to their friends, whether that’s taking up a new skill like climbing, a packet of crisps designed to start a chat and now a public declaration of love for your friend. So this Valentine’s Day take a mate for a pint, and tell him how you feel – it could make all the difference.”
And if you need a nudge (or a bribe), Beavertown is adding one.
Free pints to get Britain talking
From 9th to 22nd February, Beavertown is giving away 5,000 free pints through the DUSK app to encourage Brits to invite friends to the pub and say “love you, mate” in person.*
It’s a clever idea: meet men where they already are, loosen the social stiffness by half a pint, and swap the usual conversation loops for something with a bit more meaning.
The takeaway: you don’t need an 8x10m banner
The magic of this campaign isn’t the size of the sign—it’s the fact that Joe Marler did what millions of blokes quietly struggle to do: he said the words. No one’s asking you to hang off a bridge in Hackney Wick with a billboard. But if you’ve got a mate who’s been there through the muck, maybe send a message that isn’t a meme.
Four words. Minimal fuss. Maximum impact.
To find out more about the campaign visit https://beavertownbrewery.co.uk/tell-a-mate
