What do you do with extra ketchup packets you don’t need? It seems wrong to just throw them away. So for many of us, into the drawer they go – that same kitchen drawer filled with unused plastic utensils, random matchbooks and old takeout menus.
Are you ever actually going to use those ketchup packets, though? They may just sit in that drawer forever. But now, we’re all being given the chance to put them to good use by turning those unwanted condiments into a coupon for a condiment you might actually want.
Unilever-owned Hellmann’s has introduced a promotion that will let you “get money for mayo by cashing in your ketchup packets.”
“Tired of ketchup packets cluttering your drawers?” the campaign’s originator, ad agency VML, asked. “Hellmann’s is giving you the chance to invest in the best condiment for your fries!”
Those who are willing to break out of a rut and dip their fries into mayo instead of ketchup can go to KetchupCurrency.com to participate in the giveaway, from now through May 25th. Visit the site on your phone, or use your phone to scan a QR code on the desktop site, and get your ketchup packets ready. Just use your phone’s camera to scan any ketchup packets you happen to have on hand. And the more you have, the more you can save – up to 9 packets in one photo will earn you a $1 coupon off a Hellmann’s purchase. 10 or more packets will get you a $2 coupon.
And if your ketchup packets have been hiding out in your drawer for so long that Hellmann’s deems it a “vintage” package, you could win a one-year supply of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
“A significant portion of Americans prefer mayo on their fries but are hesitant to admit it,” VML explained. That was the thinking behind the campaign, to encourage Hellmann’s fans to turn those unused ketchup packets into something they can actually use.
It’s also the latest in a series of efforts aimed at making mayo fun. Last year, Hellmann’s created “Sick of Food Waste Day,” turning people’s post-Super Bowl “sick days” into a day to celebrate leftovers, with a little mayo on top. Later, Hellmann’s visited Toast, North Carolina and banned the sale of mayo inside the town for a day, “to prove it belongs on the outside.” And earlier this year, a Hellmann’s TV ad recreated a famous scene from When Harry Met Sally and gave viewers the chance to get a “What She’s Having” sandwich kit, with “all the ingredients you need to recreate Sally’s very particular, yet delicious, turkey sandwich (with Hellmann’s, of course).”
But those campaigns were mostly just fun to watch. This latest campaign allows you to play along and save a little money in the process.
“You’ve been hoarding ketchup packets for way too long,” Hellmann’s told its fans. “It’s time to cash them in for something more delicious.”
So if you could use some mayo coupons, start digging around for all the stray ketchup packets you can find. You may even have a “vintage” one and not even know it. There’s only one way to know for sure. And you have until the end of next month to find out.
Image source: Hellmann’s
