Why Hellmann’s is boasting about no one responding to its ad

It’s not often a brand will brag about one of its ad campaigns being ignored, but for Hellmann’s, that was the whole point. The mayonnaise brand, which has been promoting itself as an aid to address a hidden plague of consumer food waste, demonstrated the challenge at the heart of its purpose. It placed a series of outdoor ads around New York City—along with an Instagram post—showing an open refrigerator featuring food items that are commonly wasted and a message: “There’s more in your fridge than you think.” Along with loose asparagus spears, half a red pepper and chickpeas in Tupperware, sharp-eyed consumers could also spy a small note card in the fridge with a call to action: The first to spot the card and alert the brand with a direct message on Twitter or Instagram could win a $1,600 prize—a figure equal to the amount of money that the average American household wastes on thrown-away food every year. The ads—including a gigantic billboard in Times Square—were up from April 18-25, generating an estimated 4.4 million views. The number of DMs to the Hellmann’s social channels were easier to count. It was zero. “This creative campaign highlights how we’re all guilty of leaving money on the table by not taking a closer look at what’s in our fridge,” said Ben Crook, senior director, dressings and condiments for Hellmann’s parent, Unilever. The “See More in Your Fridge” campaign was produced by Hellmann’s with agency Wunderman Thompson. It joined a series of efforts by the brand—including Super Bowl ads over the last two years—that call consumer attention to food waste, a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, public health crises and economic loss. Hellmann’s launched the campaign with low expectations for responses—and got even less than anticipated—emphasizing the challenging nature of its purpose. Had there been respondents, the brand would have shared that number as well, a representative said. The stunt supported Hellmann’s overarching “Make Taste, Not Waste” campaign whose goal is to inspire 100 million people a year to be more resourceful with food so they waste less. This supports the United Nations’ sustainable development goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. In addition to consumer campaigns, the brand is working with Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic to help enact policy change at the federal level, supporting a bill introduced last year known as the Zero Food Waste Act. The bill among other things would legislate standardization and clarity on food date labeling, which the brand cites as a common driver of at-home food waste. Hellmann’s effort encourages consumers to look to its mayonnaise as an accompaniment to leftovers. An app Unilever launched last year called Fridge Night guides users through a four-week behavior change program encouraging resourceful food management with solutions like “Use-Up” days and “flexipes” that turn leftovers into new meals. A pilot study last year found that people who participated in the Fridge Night program reduced the amount of food they discarded by 46%, the brand noted. Hellmann’s Super Bowl ads have taken a humorous approach to the issue of food waste. In 2021, Amy Schumer starred as a “Fairy Godmayo” turning leftovers into meals. Former NFL player Jerod Mayo this year violently tackled food waste in a spot based on Reebok’s “Terry Tate” character.

Why Hellmann’s is boasting about no one responding to its ad

Featured Stories