ABOUT

Brief
With declining emotional relevance in the UK, Hellmann’s was under attack: losing share to cheaper private label mayo brands as well to alternative condiments. The brand needed an idea to reassert its superiority, show its value, and to re-establish culturally relevance.

The campaign needed to support the new global platform, “Bring Out the Best,” by showing how Hellmann’s can elevate everyday moments—beyond just taste. We were looking for a bold, talkable activation that championed Hellmann’s as the gold standard of mayo—reminding people why it’s worth choosing, paying for, and loving.

Insight & Idea
Fast food chains across the UK routinely hand out ketchup for free, but charge extra for mayo, even though mayonnaise is still the UK’s favourite condiment. This condiment inequality sparked a culturally resonant idea: the Hellmann’s Exchange.

To reestablish Hellmann’s superiority, we partnered with No1 Currency, creating a world-first condiment currency exchange, letting Brits trade in their unwanted free ketchup sachets for coveted Hellmann’s mayo. Just like swapping currencies, consumers could trade up to Hellmann’s, reclaiming taste, value, and fairness in the process. We activated at 62 currency exchange locations in the UK, chosen for their proximity to the fast food restaurants that were charging for mayo.
Strategy
The strategy behind the Hellmann’s Mayo Exchange was to reassert brand superiority by tapping into a distinctly British frustration: an unlevel playing field. We discovered an injustice: that Brits were being charged extra for each mayo sachet while multitudes of unwanted ketchup were handed out freely at fast food outlets.

Targeting value-conscious millennials and Gen Xers, we flipped this on its head by turning a negative into a positive, using this cost disparity to remind Brits about the value of mayo, specifically Hellmann’s, positioning it as the superior condiment.


By launching a real-world condiment currency exchange, we turned this everyday annoyance into a playful act of defiance—inviting Brits to “trade up” their unwanted ketchup sachets for creamy Hellmann’s mayo. It reminded the nation that Hellmann’s isn’t just a condiment—it’s the gold standard.
Execution
The Hellmann’s Exchange came to life through a nationwide activation in partnership with No1 Currency, transforming 62 currency bureaus across the UK into condiment exchange points. Consumers were invited to swap their unwanted fast food ketchup sachets for valuable Hellmann’s mayo, with exchange rates set based on a variety of location-based factors including concentration of fast food options and population density.

To amplify reach, we partnered with local content creators known for financial and satirical content, who brought the campaign to life across social with skits, hot takes, and exchange “market” updates. Community management played a critical role, with the brand actively engaging in witty back-and-forths with fast food chains and fans, fuelling the cultural conversation.

The execution blended physical activation with digital energy—rooted in real consumer behaviour and delivered with a distinctly British sense of humour—making Hellmann’s feel timely, relevant, and proudly superior.
Results
The results? Saucy. In a Brand Uplift study, we successfully boosted the value of Hellmann’s on a number of key brand metrics:

• +27% say Hellmann’s is the only brand they’d buy
• 68% brand favourability
• 65% feel more loyal to Hellmann’s
• 64% feel more connected to Hellmann’s
• +9pt uplift in belief that Hellmann’s is different to other condiments

As a testament to the success of this unique activation, one of the most popular exchange locations on Victoria Street, London reported that more ketchup-for-mayo exchanges happened during the campaign launch than several other currencies. Chosen as Contagious Campaign of the Week, the Hellmann’s Exchange helped establish the brand as the most coveted condiment.