Welcoming a New Era for Duke's Mayo.

My Role: Provided account management support, developed creative brief and campaign strategy, managed creative trafficking, supported creative ideation, and assisted with campaign execution and feedback.

Agency: Familiar Creatures

Background

Duke’s Mayo, a beloved Southern staple, faces challenges amid a shrinking mayo market, with private labels gaining traction and Hellmann's leading in both media spend and market share. Known for its passionate fanbase, Duke’s Mayo inspires extreme devotion—from tattoos to people drinking mayo as a show of loyalty. Despite this fervor, Duke’s needed to increase brand awareness and household penetration by launching its first big brand campaign.

The Tastemaker's Table: Winning Over Foodie Millennials

Our target audience consists of millennial tastemakers living primarily in the Southeast, but Duke’s influence is expanding across the U.S. These individuals are adventurous with their food choices, often using it as a way to connect with others or explore new places. Influenced by chefs and food bloggers, this audience seeks meaningful connections.

From Condiment to Conversation Starter

While the choice of mayo brand may not seem like a polarizing topic, for some, it's a heated debate. When it comes to condiments, Duke’s meets all the functional criteria in terms of taste, quality, flavor, and consistency. However, research revealed that most consumers see mayo as a functional product that lacks top-of-mind attention and a need for loyalty.

To get the millennial tastemakers on board we needed to tap into something emotional.

Duke’s existing fanbase, known for their tattoos, urns, and bold displays of affection, was our secret weapon. We needed to shift perceptions and show that Duke’s is more than just a condiment.

Family First: The Power of Connection

What’s more emotional than a family? In an era where connections are scarce, Duke’s Mayo unites diehard fans, tradition-keepers, chefs, foodies, and cultural enthusiasts under one family. The emotional bond that Duke’s creates serves as the perfect way to bring people together, fostering stronger loyalty and advocacy for the brand.

Strategy

Our strategy, welcome these millennial tastemakers—who may not yet understand the Duke’s hype—into the family.

campaign idea: Welcome to duke’s country

With Southern hospitality at the heart of the campaign, we developed the concept: Welcome to Duke’s Country. To bring Duke’s Country to life, the brand needed to take a unique approach beyond just a tv spot. This campaign featured everything from integration into brand experiences and OOH to social and digital content, and even merch and welcome center advertising.