• by Fern Siegel , August 29, 2024

There are mayonnaise lovers — and there are Duke’s devotees.

Some get the brand tattooed on their bodies. Others use empty jars as urns.

It’s worth noting that Duke’s has been a cornerstone of Southern childhood for a century. Fans include Dolly Parton, Tasting Table and Chef Alton Brown. In a recent blind taste test, both Food & Wine and Bon Appetit voted Duke’s the all-around favorite mayo, boosted by its famous twang.

The brand's latest campaign, “Welcome to Duke’s Country," includes a refresh, two spots, radio ads and billboards across the South. Ads run across social, streaming and digital, including ESPN, Disney+, YouTube and Duke's owned channels. Plus, a new landing page offers recipes, merch and a chance to win a special “welcome kit.”

Dustin Artz, co-founder-creative director of Familiar Creatures, which handled all creative, told Agency Daily: “Some brands have consumers. Passion brands like Duke’s have fans. We loved getting the chance to show off what makes them special.”

The agency’s work will be a key feature of Duke’s Mayo Classic, airing Sept. 7 on ABC’s “Saturday Night Football.” The University of Tennessee Volunteers plays the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Duke’s, which includes spreads and dressings, is the official mayo of the Carolina Panthers, Greensboro Coliseum, James Madison University, University of South Carolina, Ole Miss, West Virginia University and the Dollywood Resort.

Chef Katie Coss of Husk restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee, makes almost everything from scratch. The one thing she won't make? Mayonnaise. If she opens a friend's refrigerator and sees that they don't have Duke's mayonnaise, "I'd get new friends," she said.