Creativity and Mayonnaise Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Presenters:
  • João Brum, Senior Marketing Manager at Helmhans
  • Jamie Cordwell, Global Executive Creative Director at Edelman London
• Topic: Creativity in marketing using mayonnaise as a case study.

Brand Overview

• Helmhans is a leading mayonnaise brand, especially in the Western Hemisphere.
• Notable gap in brand awareness in the Eastern Hemisphere, where mayonnaise is less popular.
• Common challenge: Brands often play it safe in marketing, leading to basic communication.
• Decision made to partner with Edelman to create bolder campaigns.

Market Competition

• Competition extends beyond direct competitors to include content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
• Need for creativity to break through the noise.
• Importance of addressing the common pitfall of playing it safe.

Insights and Observations

• Unique market insight: The UK's biggest fry seller does not offer mayonnaise.
  • Common condiments include sweet and sour sauce, barbecue, even strawberry jam.
• Helmhans aims to advocate for mayonnaise lovers and capitalize on this observation.
• Video introduction planned to showcase the campaign results.

The Mayo McHack Campaign

• Idea: Create a fun way to get mayonnaise at UK McDonald's.
• Campaign name: "Mayo McHack"
• Encouragement for fans to customize their orders by removing undesired items to end up with just mayonnaise.
• Success measured by brand uplift and social media engagement.
• Coincidental increase in McDonald's offering mayonnaise post-campaign.

Key Learnings from the Campaign

1. Don't take the product too seriously; focus on enjoyment.
2. Champion the fans of the brand and engage with their enthusiasm.

Germany Campaign: Challenging the Norm

• New problem identified: Many Germans named "Heinz" prefer mayonnaise over ketchup.
• Observation: 35,000 people in Germany share the name Heinz.
• Concept: Your name shouldn’t dictate condiment preferences.
• Campaign initiated with an Instagram post inviting Heinz lovers to switch to Helmhans.

Engagement and Results

• Eight individuals changed their names legally as part of the campaign.
• Campaign involved playful engagement with participants through social media and personalized content.
• Series of actions included creating family album photos and a Spotify playlist.
• Limited edition personalized bottles produced for supporters.

Success Metrics

• Achieved a 200% increase in purchase consideration.
• 59% of participants indicated a preference for mayonnaise over ketchup post-campaign.

Conclusion

• Key takeaways:
  • Even leading brands can embrace a challenger mindset.
  • Maintaining a playful tone is vital for engaging consumers without appearing confrontational.
• Importance of understanding and responding to fan interactions.
• Final call to action: Encouragement for audience to prefer mayonnaise over ketchup.