Hellmann’s D&AD New Blood Brief 2025

Hellmann’s existing market doesn’t resonate with people under 40. How can they increase their relevance with younger audiences without alienating the existing core market?

Millennials and Generation Z aren’t nearly as interested in mayonnaise, and 25% of people dislike it completely. With so many different brands failing to deliver the perfect condiment, this has deprived younger people of the real thing and resulted in the rise of mayophobia.

This campaign aims to help cure people by collaborating with influencers spread across various ages and interests. They’ll utilise exposure and hypnotherapy, which are traditional healing techniques used to get people over phobias.

The audience will first take an online test to discover how mayophobic they are. The higher their risk, the more likely they’ll be invited to be hypnotised at Mayo Control with Derren Brown. Finally, they’ll get their results from Miz Cracker, dressed as a giant jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise, who will use exposure therapy to determine whether they’re still mayophobic.

This impact strives to prove that people only think they’re mayophobic because they’ve never had the world’s greatest number one, thus depriving themselves of Hellmann’s deliciousness.

All the visuals in the campaign consistently keep to Hellmann’s distinctive branding, incorporating their recognisable colour palette, logo, and overall aesthetic. This design choice ensures the brand remains instantly identifiable to its audience while reinforcing brand loyalty and awareness.

The campaign cleverly tackles the unusual fear by transforming it into a light-hearted narrative filled with humour and charm. This playful approach not only makes the message more engaging but fun, memorable, and unique.