• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, July 30, 2024

When an Instacart survey revealed that one in three Americans dip their French fries in mayo, Unilever’s Hellmann’s mayonnaise decided it was time to lift the veil of shame about the common practice.

Since the French have long been open about their dipping preferences -- and since tout le monde is thinking about Paris due to the Olympics -- it’s opening Le Café Hellmann’s, a one-day experience in New York’s Soho. The only thing on the menu? French fries with a side of mayo, Kir Royale cocktails and French 75 mocktails. There’s no partnership, so Hellmann’s is the hero.  Chris Symmes, head of marketing, dressings and condiments North America, tells Marketing Daily what the company hopes to accomplish.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marketing Daily: What’s the goal of this activation?

Chris Symmes: To remind people of the versatile ways to enjoy Hellmann’s. When we think about the market development of this brand, we can think of it in one of two ways. One is to convey the superiority of Hellmann’s, like when we talk about being rich and creamy and being more than 100 years old.

But then there's the second component to marketing, which is about developing the category. So we showcase our versatility through new recipes and different usage occasions. For example, we recently did a campaign called “Mayo on the Outside,” which we introduced in the town of Toast, North Carolina. That showcased how putting mayo on the outside of the bread makes for a crispier, more creamy grilled cheese sandwich.

What we're really trying to do with this particular activation is drive awareness that this condiment can be used as a versatile dipping sauce for burgers, turkey sandwiches, and French fries.

Marketing Daily: Why now?

Symmes: We learned through Instacart that one out of three adult Americans loves dipping French fries in mayonnaise. Between the Olympics and “Emily in Paris” returning to Netflix, we thought, “Wow, there's no better time than the present.” We’re always looking for opportunities to integrate ourselves into significant cultural moments, like the Super Bowl or the Olympics.

Marketing Daily: I confess I dip my fries in mayo, and it is nice to know I’m not the only one who feels a little ashamed about it. It’s very refreshing to know this is how the French and Belgians do it, too.

Symmes: Yes, mayo is a very prevalent dipping sauce in Europe.

Marketing Daily: Speaking of dipping, when did we become such a nation of dippers? Chicken McNuggets have been around for decades. What’s speeding up the change now?

Symmes: It’s a variety of things, whether people are dipping chicken nuggets, French fries and even pizza. In the last three years, we’ve launched five flavored varieties, including a garlic and a chipotle. It’s because we see a significant shift in consumer dipping behavior, and flavored varieties encourage more experimentation.

Marketing Daily: You’re planning on serving about 300 people with the NYC cafe, and the hope is that they’ll all share about it on social media. What will make you decide this is a home run?

Symmes: We’ll look at all the usual metrics -- number of impressions and so forth -- but this just one component of a much larger campaign, aimed at getting people to use more mayo. And an increase in new uses, which requires a lot of consumer education, take longer to measure.