Sauce brand Hellmann’s and creative arm Thinkerbell looked at Australia, saw a nation quietly smuggling condiments into restaurants, and said: “Own it.” So, they've created a rhinestoned bow tie tailored to turn your neckwear into a condiment machine.
Even Ad Nut had to sit down for this one.
NRL star Kalyn Ponga fronts the campaign in fanciful couture. He looks straight into the camera and squirts out mayo from his throat like it's a socially acceptable Tuesday activity.
“On the field, I’m known for flair, and teaming up with Hellmann’s let me bring that same energy to the dining table,” says Ponga. “The BYO Bow is unexpected, cheeky, and seriously stylish. Aussies love their mayonnaise, and this proves we’ll go to any length to get our fix.”
Sure, Ponga. If you’re going to derail culture, at least do it with rhinestones.
The idea is pinned on Hellmann’s research that found one in five Aussies admits to sneaking their own condiments into restaurants, and nearly half of them think it's unacceptable too. Shame and pride in the same breath has to be peak Aussie behaviour.
Thinkerbell teamed up with Melbourne fashion label Reigner to create this genderless, beautifully tailored bow tie with a mayo dispenser. A sentence Ad Nut never expected to type in this lifetime.
Head creative Tinker Cat Williams says the BYO Bow “reminds Aussies that every meal, even the fanciest, could use some Hellmann’s deliciousness.”
Unilever’s Sara Rodrigo adds that Hellmann’s is giving Aussies “permission to elevate any dish, anywhere.”
Ad Nut still can’t decide whether this belongs in the hall of deranged brand collabs or the hall of quietly genius ones. For one, it’s aware of its own stupidity. And that’s a bulletproof strategy in 2025.
The BYO Bow is the first piece of work under Hellmann’s new localised brand platform, Hell Yeah Hellmann’s.
CREDITS:
Creative and earned: Thinkerbell
Client: Unilever
Content and Influencer production: Hogarth
Fashion partner: Reigner
Talent: Kalyn Ponga
 Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'. |
