A sandwich bag was all it took for this brand to turn a controversial moment into a memorable one!
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| I’m a fan of this strategy because it’s a reminder that marketing a brand doesn’t always have to feel and look conventional. In this article, I’ll talk about a campaign that took a creative spin on a controversy and used it to generate buzz for a brand. Curious? Keep reading below! A sandwich bag was all it took for this brand to turn a controversial moment into a memorable one! Controversies are often thought of as damaging incidents, and as such, should be avoided whenever possible. While this may be true in most cases, controversies represent an opportunity for brands to interact with its target audience in a creative and meaningful way. … and you know what? That’s exactly what popular mayonnaise brand HellMann’s did in 2024!
Turning Controversy Into Opportunity To understand what HellMann’s did in the first place, we need to know what the controversy was all about first. Earlier in 2024, popular music artist Charli XCX was going on a tour and to promote it, she posted a tour poster that showed her tour dates.
While this hyped up her fans, Charli XCX’s tour poster invited some controversy as well, as some alleged that the visuals of the poster were a reference to—and subtle promotion of—drug use. As a result, the post was taken down. In a video response posted on TikTok, Charli XCX cleared the air and insisted that it was an empty plastic bag meant to be used for a sandwich… and to prove her point, she even unveiled an updated tour poster, with a sandwich placed inside a plastic bag. Of course, fans found this hilarious and the issue died down as she went on tour. That’s when HellMann’s and its creative partner Ogilvy UK entered the picture! Instead of letting a viral controversy go to waste, HellMann’s and Ogilvy UK capitalized on it by coming up with a creative twist. During the Birmingham, U.K. leg of Charli XCX’s BRAT tour, the mayo brand gave fans a free “club classic” sandwich, named after one of the artist's hit songs. These sandwiches were provided to fans inside plastic bags that resembled Charli XCX’s controversial tour poster The sandwiches provided to fans were prepared by Sandwich Society, a local business HellMann’s partnered with. Influencers who attended the concert were also given these sandwiches and their reactions were captured so they can be featured in social media posts.
What’s more? To complement the guerrilla marketing stunt, HellMann’s and Ogilvy UK placed digital out-of-home ads outside of the arena where Charli XCX performed. Even the artist herself joined in on the fun, as she shared a post on social media featuring the sandwich bags given to fans by HellMann’s while using her “Club Classics” song as a background on the post.
So, did all of these efforts pay off? Yes! The guerrilla marketing stunt reached 2.7 million people, garnered over 11 million views, generated 16.5 million impressions, and even reached over 60,000 fans on TikTok. Additionally, the sandwich bags even became collector’s items, with many of them becoming mementos for fans and an economic opportunity for others, as some of these bags were sold for a premium on eBay. It’s clear the stunt was a massive success. Moreover, it showed that a creative spin on viral controversies in today’s social media age could be turned into positive moments for fans! To sum up, HellMann’s and Ogilvy UK capitalized on social media chatter, tapped into pop culture, and leveraged it to interact with fans in a meaningful and witty way! So, the next time you come up with a campaign, you should definitely keep this stunt in mind! You never know, you just might find something that you can put a creative spin on and enable you to leave a lasting impression on your audience! Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how a playable billboard turned Times Square into a global arcade? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
