Hellmann's let Brits trade ketchup sachets for mayo like currency

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.

Treating condiment inequality as currency makes it tradable

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.

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.

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.