BBQs happen more than we realise – 80% of people BBQ 10-19 times a year. But Hellmann’s is under-represented on the BBQ table. That’s a shame because Hellmann’s is essential to salads, meat, and burgers. Our challenge was clear: When people think BBQ, they don’t think about Hellmann’s.

Bring on the biggest cultural moment of the year, Barbie, which happened to be launching during BBQ season. The only problem was that Hellmann’s was not an official sponsor, and Warner Bros and Mattel are notoriously litigious. So how could Hellmann’s be part of the conversation, steer clear of legal challenges, and - most importantly – appear in a way that’s strategically right for the brand?

If we could put Barbie, Hellmann’s and BBQ together in a culturally resonant way, there was potential to outsize impact (noticeability and talkability) and make Hellmann’s front of mind for people’s next BBQ ritual.

Most brands turned themselves pink to create relevance to the Barbie movie. But Hellmann’s wanted a visually impactful idea that would cut through the clutter to give the world’s most loved mayo cultural and brand relevance, plus earned media.

The idea. Hellmann’s invited movie-goer to ‘Throw a shrimp on the Barbie’ because Barbies are even better with Hellmann’s. The image had humour at its core and was crafted using CGI as this gave us ultimate creative control. The doll itself had just enough differences that we could argue it wasn’t legally a Barbie, if challenged. But it was designed in such a way that, to a viewer, it immediately cued Barbie.

And of course, this being Hellmann’s, we had to drive taste appeal. It was essential that the level of craft and polish made the image look delicious and got people thinking about firing up their BBQs.

The "Shrimp on the Barbie" campaign was a huge success for Hellmann's in the UK and Australian markets. The goal was to raise the brand's iconic status and contribute to cultural conversations. Despite not being an official sponsor, Hellmann's successfully associated itself with the Barbie movie and became part of a huge conversation. During the premiere weekend of July 22nd-23rd, the campaign reached 3.8 million people across OOH, online, paid social, and print readership.

The campaign relied mainly on earned media and limited paid media investment to make Hellmann's a part of the conversation surrounding Barbie. This increased Hellmann's fame and reinforced its iconic status. The campaign aimed to drive the message of summery deliciousness, position Hellmann's alongside other icons, and associate it as an indispensable condiment for BBQs, elevating BBQ food with its rich and creamy taste.