Vol. 129 Hellmann's: A garlic-scented novel 🧄

Case Studied
A flavor that needed a second act

Using limited-edition packaging is a proven enough tactic to bolster an underperforming product. But for this method to be effective, the packaging has to realllllly stand out. 

We saw this happen when Coke pulled the logo off their bottles and replaced it with 250 of the most common teen names. We also saw it when Starbucks started giving away limited-edition reusable red cups (which customers now treat as annual collectibles). And recently we saw Hellmann’s pull a rather unexpected stunt with packaging too. 

This week, Case Studied explores how Hellmann's used a limited-edition, garlic-scented novel to revive a struggling product among Gen Z audiences.

The Brief

Hellmann's has been a fixture in American refrigerators since 1913. Owned by Unilever since 2000, the brand built its identity around its flagship product: mayonnaise. 

But mayo isn’t the only product in its repertoire. Over the years, Hellmann’s expanded its lineup to include a range of flavored varieties. Among them was Garlic Aioli, a flavor that launched in 2023 and struggled to find its footing.

To change that, Hellmann’s turned its attention to Gen Z, meaning TikTok was a natural fit. 71% of the platform's users are under 30 and they also over-index for buying flavored condiments. But the audience is also highly fluent so Hellmann’s had to demonstrate an understanding of both fandom and BookTok culture to effectively engage. 

Social listening pointed Hellmann’s toward the vampire romantasy category. Specifically, the ‘Blood and Ash’ series by author Jennifer L. Armentrout emerged as a strong pair for the brand. The genre was surging on the platform, and Armentrout's latest release, The Primal of Blood and Bone, was generating significant anticipation. Plus, garlic's centuries-old association with warding off vampires gave Hellmann’s a creative bridge: a product baked around garlic entering a vampire fiction universe.

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The Execution

Hellmann’s partnered with Edelman to create the Bestsmeller, the world's first garlic-scented novel. 

A special-edition version of Armentrout’s The Primal of Blood and Bone, was printed with garlic-infused ink. It also featured a custom cover incorporating garlic cloves. Alongside it, the brand released a limited "Craven-Proof" version of its Garlic Aioli, a nod to the vampire creatures at the center of the series.

Copies were shipped in coffin-shaped mailers to a select group of creators. In addition to the collector’s item, they were given character-themed garlic aioli recipes that were designed for book clubs. The unboxing content was made to land natively and playfully position Hellmann’s Garlic Aioli as “something to protect readers from creatures of the night while they consumed this dangerously delicious novel.”

The Results

The Bestsmeller campaign drove +22.5% sales velocity. Unit sales increased by as much as 17.5% compared to 2024 and Hellmann’s saw 39% growth in weekly dollar sales of Garlic Aioli within three weeks of the Bestsmeller launch. 

The campaign also led to 1.6 billion earned media impressions, over 850 earned placements, and 130+ broadcast segments. 100% of the campaign’s key messaging was included in the coverage, and it was picked up globally across the U.S. Brazil, Canada, and the UK. 

On social, Hellmann’s saw 759,000 total views on owned content, with 804,000 on creator content. User-generated content views reached over 1.4 million and the brand saw over 270 UGC posts across platforms. 

The campaign also helped boost The Primal of Blood and Bone. It reached #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list.

The Takeaways

1) Find the cultural bridge.

Hellmann's didn't just show up on BookTok because Gen Z was there. They found a specific connection between their product and a thriving content ecosystem built around vampire fiction. The garlic-vampire link is centuries-old, but deploying it in the context of a buzzy new romantasy release made it feel fresh and specific. 

Before identifying a platform or community for your brand to enter, look for an insight that makes your product feel like it genuinely belongs there. Consider your product's distinctive attributes and where those attributes already have meaning in culture. The more specific and unexpected the connection, the harder it is to dismiss as a marketing stunt.

2) Take absurd ideas seriously.

On its face, the Bestsmeller was an absurd idea. The garlic-infused ink? The mayonnaise brand publishing a novel? Either of those ideas could’ve been dismissed for being too weird. But they're exactly what made the campaign hard to ignore. A more polished, conventional execution would have blended into the content feeds it was trying to break through.

When evaluating creative ideas, the instinct to sand down the strange edges is understandable. But it's worth considering whether those edges are essential. If a concept makes people say, "Wait, really?", that's not a red flag. That reaction drives earned media, UGC, and engagement.

3)  Get to know the niche. 

Hellmann's was intentional about building its campaign on what BookTok audiences value: special editions, unboxings, book club moments, author partnerships. The result was content that felt native rather than sponsored, which is partly why the UGC spread as widely as it did.

When entering a niche community, spend time getting to know it. Look for formats and rituals that generate organic participation. From there, you can figure out how your brand can contribute something additive and eye-catching. 

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