• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

Little Sesame doesn’t want to be just another hummus brand. Founded by chefs Nick Wiseman and Ronen Tenne in 2016, the company has grown from a tiny D.C. pop-up into a national player. The company’s brightly flavored, regeneratively farmed hummus is now sold in more than 3,000 stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts. But in a refrigerated category crowded with private labels and household names, Little Sesame is still a challenger.

Enter the Summer of Hummus Road Trip — a three-month experiential campaign that aims to deepen brand love with 60,000 in-person sampling moments and thousands more digital impressions. Powered by an all-electric VW van and a partnership with Stellar Snacks pretzels, the campaign will roll through more than 20 cities, stopping for pop-up tastings, chef dinners, and panel discussions on food and farming. Ilana Wayne, Little Sesame’s marketing manager and architect of the campaign, tells CPG Insider about the why andthe howof the effort.

 Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CPG Insider: This kind of road trip sampling campaign feels charmingly old-school. Why go this route now?

Ilana Wayne: It’s very core to our brand. When Nick and Ronen started, they took an old Volkswagen van on the road. They’d visit farms, cook with chefs, and connect with communities. So, we upgraded the van to an electric model and planned a road trip around it — something nostalgic, but with purpose.

CPG Insider: Your core audience is young millennials, especially parents. They are all about digital. Why not just run a digital campaign or buy CTV spots?

Wayne: Yes, we could have a commercial of a VW van, but us being present — physically handing someone a sample, seeing their reaction, getting real feedback — it’s just different. It’s more who we are.

It’s Instagrammable, sure. But also, we hope people see that we’re doing something real — cooking with their favorite restaurants and hosting events with local brands they love. That’s inspiring. And if they don’t leave the house? We’ll have the content online, too.

CPG Insider: What kind of scale are we talking about?

Wayne: We’re targeting 60,000 samples across the three months. That’s 60,000 direct engagements. Some will be longer conversations, some just a quick handoff with a QR code linking to more info. If we do this right, we’ll finish with 60,000 customers. We’ll also be looking at in-store lift, coupon redemptions, and engagement. But mostly, it’s about building awareness.

CPG Insider: Sampling’s been around forever. What makes this your version of it?

Wayne: We’re chef-founded and flavor-forward. Our hummus is regeneratively grown and made in our own factory. And we don’t just drop flavors on top — they’re swirled from the bottom, so it feels like a chef experience. Our hope is that even one spoonful, especially paired with Stellar Snacks, can show people how different we are.

CPG Insider: Is this about trial or loyalty?

Wayne: Both. Our D2C business is small but loyal — a lot of fans from D.C. who now subscribe to get their favorites. Once people get hooked, they really commit. That’s why we launched multipacks and even kids’ snack cups. People go through a lot of hummus.

CPG Insider: Your sourcing story is unusual,  especially for a national CPG brand. Can you talk about that?

Wayne: We started with one chickpea farmer in Fort Benton, Montana. As we’ve grown, we’ve expanded to work with other farmers in that region, all using regenerative farming practices. Our chickpeas are organic, certified residue-free, and U.S.-grown. That transparency and purity matter, especially for a Whole Foods shopper. Plus, we mill and blend everything in our factory near D.C., giving us full control over quality and consistency.