The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2025
Hellmann's let Brits trade ketchup sachets for mayo like currency
Hellmann's turned 62 currency bureaus into condiment exchanges, letting people swap free ketchup sachets for its mayo to fix a small injustice.
Hellmann's · Unilever
the move
In the UK, fast-food restaurants hand out ketchup for free while charging extra for mayonnaise, even though mayo is the country's favourite condiment. Hellmann's saw this as a small but everyday unfairness that echoed a broader cost-of-living frustration.
Edelman created the Hellmann's Exchange in partnership with No1 Currency, converting 62 currency exchange bureaus into places where customers could trade unwanted free ketchup sachets for Hellmann's mayo. The swap rate was set per location based on population density and how many fast-food outlets were nearby.
The move reframed mayonnaise as the premium condiment you trade up to and ketchup as the devalued currency, and it did so in the dry, underdog tone Brits enjoy. Content creators and the brand's own community exchanges kept the idea alive on social.
A brand-uplift study measured the effect on how people felt about Hellmann's rather than just how many sachets were swapped.
why it works
- Ketchup being free while mayo costs extra is a common, mildly irritating injustice.
- A currency exchange is a familiar mental model, so the swap is instantly understood.
- Real bureaus and location-based rates made the stunt feel genuine rather than a gimmick.
- Framing mayo as the thing you trade up to positions it as the more valuable condiment.
what transfers
Find a tiny, universal injustice in how a product is bought and turn it into a playful ritual; an exchange does more for brand value than a superiority claim.
what came after
A brand-uplift study reported that 27% said Hellmann's is the only brand they would buy, 68% brand favourability, 65% feeling more loyal and 64% feeling more connected, with a 9-point rise in the belief that Hellmann's differs from other condiments. The campaign earned One Show recognition in 2026.
references
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