With Hellmann’s and Will Levis No.8 Perfume, You Too Can ‘Smell Like Greatness”

Last year, Hellmann’s signed the Titans quarterback, Will Levis, as a lifelong ambassador after a video of him squeezing mayonnaise into his coffee (yes, really) went viral on social media. “Our objective going into 2024 was to find a way to build on that success and partnership in a unique way," says the Edelman US team. 

Well, they certainly did that with the release of Will Levis No.8 – a fragrance inspired by the essence of Hellmann’s distinctive mayonnaise recipe. The idea necessarily capitalised on Will’s viral moment while playing on his genuine love for the condiment. The fragrance was far from a gimmick, and ‘committing to the bit’ was a central gambit for the brand, the agency, and Will.

With that in mind, Edelman US approached the craft of scent creation seriously and worked with perfumers to translate Hellmann’s mayonnaise notes and the ‘scent of greatness’ into a wearable, pleasant fragrance. It took three rounds to land on the right bouquet of notes: a base of sensual musk, a vital mayonnaise accord, a burst of tart lemon, the herbaceousness of parsley mixed with creamy vanilla, and a small touch of coffee – a knowing nod to the viral moment that started it all. 

No fragrance campaign is complete without an ad that takes itself just a little too seriously. The Edelman US team wanted to play with this cliche, creating a pastiche ad starring Will, with dreamy and romantic cinematography from Steven Meizler. It depicts Will doing what he loves: running with a football, enjoying Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and opining on the nature of greatness. 

Today, global creative director Andrew Simon tells LBB’s Zhenya Tsenzharyk why this campaign is as much about short-term virality as it is about long-term brand building, and why a fusion of an authentic spokesperson, great creative idea, and client trust will always be a winning flavour combination. 

LBB> What kind of brief did Unilever/Hellmann’s come to you with?

Andrew> As a team, we’re always looking for ways to break through in culture – that of course is easier said than done. But coming off last year’s campaign with signing Will Levis to a lifetime contract in Hellmann’s mayo, which very much accomplished that lofty goal. Our objective going into 2024 was to find a way to build on that success and partnership in a unique way. Remember, when we officially signed Will to last year’s contract, he was a second-round draft pick and not the starting quarterback. Now that he was the Titans starting quarterback and a budding star, we wanted to make sure our creative idea took things to a new level and doubled down on his love for the brand.

LBB> A mayonnaise-inspired perfume sounds like a joke, but it has been made a reality. How did you land on this idea – what were the discussions in the room like?

Andrew> Let’s face it – there are a lot of people out there who are mayo haters. And they’re not afraid to share that opinion on social media or in the media. We recognised that we needed someone brave enough to publicly stand up to the hate. And to show he was fully committed, we asked him not just to wear a logo on his sleeve, but to wear the product all over his body.

Sure, a mayonnaise-inspired fragrance sounds like a joke but it’s the fact that we took it so seriously and went all-in that it worked. A wise person once said, “Commit to the bit.” That’s reflected in everything from using Will’s name and number as the fragrance name and making it his signature scent to getting him to take our video shoot 100% seriously as if he were indeed promoting a premium fragrance.

Because we are blessed with an awesome client team, they embraced our creative idea from the start and saw it for what it ultimately is – the ultimate expression of mayo love.

LBB> Perfume making is serious business. What went into the development of the perfume and how did you decide which of mayonnaise’s notes to highlight?

Andrew> Indeed, it is! It was very important for us to make sure that Will Levis No.8, parfum de mayonnaise, was a pleasing scent. Not just because Hellmann’s was associated with it but also because it would have Will’s name on the bottle. We had many discussions with the perfumers to ensure that it was close enough to mayo while also being something that people would proudly wear. In the end, we went through three rounds of fragrance creation until we found the perfect combination of elements: a sensual musky base, mayonnaise accord, a burst of tart lemon, an herbaceous element of parsley mixed with creamy vanilla. And the addition of coffee undertones, a nod to Will’s past TikTok post adding mayo to his coffee, was the element that really sealed the deal. Based on product reviews, it isn’t just us who love it. Allure.com just posted a video on their Insta with a few of their editors trying it, with positive responses including, “Superior product, superior fragrance.”

LBB> We have to know: what does it actually smell like? What kind of occasion would someone wear it to?

Andrew> It smells like greatness. So really, when in your life do you not want to smell like greatness?

LBB> Tell us a little bit about the film itself and the ironic pastiche fragrance ad style – why and how did you decide on the tone and visuals?

Andrew> We had a clear vision for the film from the start. Most fragrance advertising lives in the same universe, and that universe tends to take itself way too seriously. We knew humour could come out of the juxtaposition of that earnest world paired with Will’s hotness along with his playful nature. Once we knew Will loved the concept and embraced our approach, we really went for it. Bringing on cinematographer Steven Meizler who shot ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ really helped us nail the dreamy look we were hoping to achieve.

LBB> What does this campaign do for the Hellmann’s brand – is it about short-term virality or long-term brand building?

Andrew> Yes and yes! While it’s great to generate conversation and for there to be such incredible demand for a mayo-infused cologne that was selling out in less than a minute on a daily basis, we’re ultimately in the business of Hellmann’s brand building and selling mayo. I’m happy to report that we’ve seen a very positive correlation between this campaign and product performance as there’s been an increase in product sales at launch.

This is far from a one-hit wonder. Will is a true lover of Hellmann’s and because he believes in the brand, we’re able to leverage his fandom in fun and in fun and creative ways.