Hellmann’s Crashes Charli XCX Brat Tour with Tribute to “Sandwich Bag” Poster
Hellmann’s is such a kid.
As the summer of brats turned into the autumn of brats – with the pop star who inspired a thousand memes, Charli one of the biggest social media trends of the year.
Unilever’s mayonnaise brand pulled off a guerrilla stunt during Charli XCX’s tour in Birmingham, England, paying homage to the singer-songwriter’s banned tour poster featuring a clear plastic bag .
After some claimed a link between the images and drug use, the singer revealed in May that British advertising regulators had banned the tour poster because the image of the small clear sachet “promoted bad things.”
She spoke about the ban in a TikTok video which has since garnered over 9.6 million views, retorting that it was “obviously a sandwich bag” and adding the food item to the poster’s imagery, while urging fans to bring their own sandwiches to his shows.
On Friday, November 29, Hellmann’s joined the conversation by offering free “Club Classic” sandwiches – named after one of the tracks from the Grammy-nominated album Brat – to Charli XCX fans waiting in line outside the Bp Pulse Live arena in Birmingham.
The sandwiches were delivered in Hellmann’s-branded plastic bags which marked the pop star’s UK tour dates.
The brand also sent the bags to influencers and ran ads outside the Birmingham venue that reflected the album’s pixelated lo-fi visual identity and deadpan language. The tongue-in-cheek headline read: “Club Classic sandwiches and these are the same, but they have Hellmann’s mayonnaise in them, so they’re not.” »
Hellmann’s advertisements reflected the visuals and language of the Brat album.Hellmann’s, Ogilvy United Kingdom
The aim of the campaign, created by agency Ogilvy UK, was to participate in a culturally relevant moment while reminding fans that Hellmann’s is the ultimate condiment to accompany sandwiches.
While the kids’ summer trend has become saturated this year – with brands ranging from skim to plant-based sausages Country roast and Vice President Kamala Harris jumped on the bandwagon – Ogilvy spotted a real way for Hellmann’s to stand out amid the buzz.
“Brat became a marketing manual for pop stars, brands and even politicians… but brands with no real allegiance were jumping on the zeitgeist for influence,” said Alison Steven and Liam Bushby , global creative directors of Ogilvy UK, in a statement.
They added: “But after seeing Charli , because you can’t have a sandwich without Hellmann’s. .”
Charli XCX then shared Hellmann’s stunt on her social media.
Mayo, but make it fashionable
Facing challenger condiment brands like a food influencer Ayoh, the new mayonnaise line launched by Molly BazHellmann’s has recently ramped up its marketing strategy that leverages unexpected cultural moments.
During London Fashion Week in September, Hellmann’s collaborated with London fashion brand Chopova Lowena to toss a purse designed to hold a jar of mayonnaise.
And in August, the Unilever brand partnered with Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis – who once went viral for his joke about mayonnaise in his coffee – to launch the first mayonnaise-inspired perfume, Will Levis No. 8.
“Leveraging pop culture can really win when your brand has something meaningful to say,” Martin Bareau, Hellmann’s brand director, said in a statement. “We’re proud to be a 119-year-old mayonnaise brand that can still pull off a guerrilla hit.”
Hellmann’s will also return to the Super Bowl in 2025, making his fifth consecutive appearance in the Big Game.
