Hellmann’s Kicks Off Football Season With New Campaign

As the NFL season approaches, Hellmann’s is introducing ‘Call for Hellmann’s’ – a new campaign designed to bring the language and energy of football to the food that fans are eating.

“Football and food have always gone hand in hand and Hellmann's has a natural place in so many of the dishes that fans reach for on game day,” says Jessica Grigoriou, SVP Marketing, Condiments for Unilever North America. 

“With ‘Call for Hellmann's,’ we're having fun with language fans already know and love, while celebrating the food, rituals and flavours that bring people together all season long.”

A campaign inspired by football plays

In two 15-second spots – ‘Make the Call’ and ‘Chicky Tenders’ – the company is drawing on football plays, calls and rituals when preparing game-day food. 

The ‘Make the Call’ spot features Hellmann’s mayonnaise being used in a burger, while ‘Chicky Tenders’ pairs chicken tenders with the company’s Chipotle and Spicy flavours, all alongside “coach-inspired” direction and music that the company says has been inspired by classic football films. 

The advertisements have been designed to use nostalgia, humour and familiar football wording to make food pairings seem like football plays. 

According to Hellmann’s, the campaign will be running across TV, streaming and social over the course of the football season. 

Hellmann’s is also looking to deepen its presence in football culture with this campaign. 

Through its partnership with universities such as the University of Texas, University of Florida and University of Arkansas, the company will be tapping into college football fan bases.

Meanwhile, Manny Mayo, the company’s football-inspired mascot since 2024, will be travelling to a series of stadiums with Hellmann’s food truck – serving sliders and running giveaways. 

Hellmann’s football presence

Hellmann’s has been heavily involved in American football culture in recent years – with the company’s ‘Big Game’ campaigns helping Hellmann’s have a presence in 46.7% of all US millennial households and leading to a 24.4% increase in social media conversations on waste following the Super Bowl, according to Unilever.

In 2025, the company continued to strengthen this existing presence around football culture – from the launch of House of Hellmann’s, a collaboration between football and fashion, and its ‘Do Dip’ campaign, which was created to bring together diehard supporters and new fans over a shared love of game-day food. 

Hellmann’s has also held a prime, 30-second advertising spot during the Super Bowl for six consecutive seasons. Its most recent Super Bowl ad, ‘Meal Diamond’, which starred Andy Samberg, was the most impactful Super Bowl LX advertisement online, according to data from Quantcast. 

“Over the past six years, we've worked to build a meaningful presence within football culture, and returning to the Big Game reflects our commitment to celebrating fans of all kinds over a common love for game day dishes,” said Jessica.

Who are Unilever’s key partners? 

• Google Cloud: In 2026, Google Cloud and Unilever announced a five-year partnership to accelerate Unilever's business transformation through its use of Google Cloud’s advanced AI, data, platform and next-generation marketing capabilities. The partnership will help drive growth and desirability for Unilever’s global brand portfolio – including iconic brands like Dove, Vaseline and Hellmann's – using Google Cloud’s technologies.
• Accenture: Unilever partners with Accenture to scale the use of AI-enabled digital twins across its global manufacturing network. The next-generation technology will help factories improve quality, boost efficiency and respond more quickly to consumer demand. The multi-year programme marks a further step in Unilever’s journey to apply pioneering technology across its value chain.
• Microsoft: Unilever is harnessing the power of Microsoft Azure Quantum Elements, a computer system purpose-built to accelerate scientific discovery, to help drive innovation. From unlocking the secrets of our skin’s microbiome to reducing the carbon footprint of a multibillion-dollar business, Unilever is redefining what it means to be a consumer goods company in the modern world with leading science.
• TikTok: As part of Unilever’s social first strategy, TikTok Shop is enabling the company to drive desire at scale by turning inspiration into instant action. The platform’s agility allows its brands to respond in real time to viral trends and cultural moments, while amplifying efficacy messaging through highly engaging content.