To launch NotMayo, a new plant based mayonnaise brand, we invited real-life online mayo haters to participate in a torture test that challenged all category norms. We started by casting haters online, inviting them to a unique taste test experience, where they were served various foods with a condiment that was described as NotMayo. After tasting, their reactions showcased the genuine disgust as they realized the similarity between NotMayo and the real thing. Using the universally relatable humor of watching others suffer, the campaign drew attention to NotMayo, sparking conversation and engagement within the target audience.

Plant-based foods are having a moment in the US, as the total industry hit over $8 billion, up 6.6% in the last year, with alternative milk, sausages, and cheese leading the charge. Why did this happen? It's not because more people are turning vegan, but because most people are finding more opportunities to flex, with 65% of all consumers trying to balance between animal and plant-based products. However, flexing comes with a caveat: taste. As much as consumers are looking to reduce meat and animal products from their diet, they won't if the taste is bad. Quality, taste being key, is the #1 trigger for flexers trying plant based products (Mintel, 2023).

The typical flexer is willing to give plant-based options ""a chance"" but if the taste is not up to par, social conversation taught us that it's more likely than not that they'll never try that plant-based brand again. ""There is a common key reason shared by non-eaters of both plant-based meat and plant-based dairy – not enjoying the taste."" (Euromonitor, 2023). This has a very important repercussion: big, popular, established names matter a lot in the world of plant alternative products.

While Flexers usually try plant-based meals, they don't typically consider plant-based mayos as something worth incorporating into their rotation. The reason is; they don't believe it will taste as good as the animal-based option. On top of that, most mayo shoppers are brand loyal, with Hellmann's Vegan being the top choice thanks to its name alone. NotMayo found itself in a tricky situation. It was a product launch in a crowded category led by the most famous name in mayo and where taste is king. We needed position this plant-based mayo is the top option for flexitarians. It all sounds dreadful, but we had a glimpse of hope; in blind tastings, 77% considered NotMayo a great-tasting mayo, plant-based or not. The fact was, the product was good, we just had to find a way to convince doubters and non-believers.

"Mayo Haters"" campaign aimed to leverage the existing hate for traditional mayo to highlight the striking similarity of NotMayo, a plant-based alternative, through engaging taste tests. Leveraging participants recruited from Reddit, a platform known for its mayo-hating community, mayo haters were invited to try various foods featuring NotMayo, with their reactions filmed as they mistook it for traditional mayo. Despite their protests, they were continually informed that it was actually NotMayo, capturing their confusion and reinforcing the product's resemblance to the real thing. This approach aimed to generate buzz around the new brand and product, emphasizing that if you despise mayo, you'll likely dislike NotMayo just as much, meaning if you love mayo, you'll love NotMayo.

The strategy targeted flexitarians, people who are open to plant-based alternatives but still enjoy animal products occasionally. Sadly for this group, most plant-based options are never as good as the real thing, especially in the condiment category. But plant-based NotMayo actually does taste exactly like the real thing, and the strategy set out to prove it. In a saturated market with false messages of loving the “same” great taste as the real thing, NotMayo wanted to stand out. Rather than creating a film about how great the product is, the campaign focused on just how disgusting it was to mayo haters. We invited mayo haters to try NotMayo and prove that it truly does taste the exact same as the real thing through their hate for the product.

We started by using the social media platform where it's popular to hate mayo, Reddit, and put out a casting call, inviting mayo haters to try a “new” product. We then turned a simple taste test into a unique brand experience, where our mayo haters unknowingly tried NotMayo. Their reactions were priceless as they realized it tasted just like traditional mayo. We captured these moments and turned their pain into content online and on social, targeting mayo-hating communities and food enthusiasts. The campaign gained momentum through influencer partnerships and organic sharing, reaching a wide audience. This immersive approach drove trial and awareness of NotMayo as a compelling alternative in the condensed condiment market.

Our intention was clear: differentiate NotMayo from other plant-based products by proving its likeness to traditional mayo. And the love of the mayo hate spoke for itself. 220x increase in social engagement. 78% of the sentiment towards the hate was overwhelmingly positive. 14% increase in purchase intent and a 96% increase in brand trust. But most of all 99.2% of mayo haters despised NotMayo with 0.8% haters liking it. All to reinforce our message: if you hate mayo, you'll hate NotMayo.