Build The Perfect Sandwich

Hellmann’s is a well established food brand that dates back over 100 years to a small delicatessen in New York. Since then the brand has gone on to become of the most recognised brands in its category.

Since mayonnaise usage on sandwiches represented around 80% of its business, when statistics revealed that the humble sandwich was making a comeback in the recent difficult economic climate, Hellmann’s realised the business opportunity that sandwiches posed for the brand.

Given that Hellmann’s mayonnaise was already a very familiar product to consumers, the new challenge lie in presenting them with new ways in which to use it. Mothers, aged 35-45 were targeted, as they often controlled the domestic budget, and would be responsible for making snacks and pack lunches – for which sandwiches were the perfect addition.

Enlisting the help of TV chef Bobby Flay, Hellmann’s created the “Build the perfect sandwich campaign”, a mission to take the humble sandwich to new heights by creating the perfect sandwich for anybody, for any occasion.

A series of 10 three minute video clips were created that each delivered a new an unusual sandwich idea, including the “new mom/one handed” sandwich, or the “keep me in skinny jeans” sandwich. The clips appeared in the ad breaks of popular shows such as the Ellen Show. CBS.com also hosted a micro-site, called “Sandwich Central” where each of the clips could be viewed.

The sandwich ideas proved popular, and nearly 1.4 sandwich-making mums across America went online to watch the video clips. Factoring in TV broadcasts, the videos were seen by a total audience of 41m, and sales were increased by 50% over target.