How Hellmann's Put Sandwich Back On The Map

The story goes that in 1762, The Earl of Sandwich first put meat between two slices of toasted bread and created the first ever sandwich. To celebrate that landmark in culinary history, Hellmann’s headed to the Kentish town of Sandwich to recreate that original dish with some interesting fillings, believing that even an 18th-century style lunch can taste even better with Hellmann's mayonnaise.

The marketing team at Unilever-owned Hellmann's, working with Edelman, set out to mark the origins of the sandwich by bringing its history to life in the very town it was named after. From fighting against the chase of modern food trends, Edelman was set with the task to reimagine the original recipe and combine it with a contemporary twist to become the new trending sandwich on social media. 

With the guidance of historians and a chef-led recreation, the initiative was marketing a live, community-driven ceremony in the town.

@flabsometimesabs Instagram reel of the sandwich

Celebrating Britain’s Favourite Lunch

Through storytelling and marketing in a physical space, the aim was to connect heritage with today's food culture and amplify how the brand can elevate even the earliest version of the lunchtime staple, bringing together tradition, culture and making everyday food more enjoyable.

Claire Racklyeft, UK&I Condiments Category director at Unilever, says the idea of recreating the first sandwich felt "playful, culturally relevant, and rooted in real food insight". The belief was that it also helped move beyond talking about food while making it more "fun" and "memorable".

The concept came from going against the ongoing ambition to create the newest and trendiest sandwich, something currently dominating the social media space, reveals Edelman executive creative director, Jamie Cordwell. Instead, Hellmann's is taking social media by storm with going back to the beginning of all sandwiches. He says “If we can find a way that shows that Hellmann's can improve even the first sandwich recipe, then it shows that it can improve all”.

Going back to the beginning meant returning to its birthplace of Sandwich, and when Emmet Csuka, The Right Worshipful Mayor of Sandwich, was introduced to the idea, he was immediately on board — seeing the idea as an opportunity to promote what is a special town to him, believing that the town has more potential.

From History To The Table

Reimagining many details of the 18th century is hard enough, but figuring out what people ate back then is even trickier, if not also perhaps a little unpleasant. Employing the expertise of historians, David Olusoga and Annie Gray allowed the team to untangle the history behind the first sandwich what it could have been.

Alongside chef and influencer Ben Lippett, the sandwich was recreated, featuring two slices of toasted bread and period-style roast beef sandwiched in between, just like the tale of The Earl of Sandwich in his demand during a card game, requesting that for dinner and having created something brand new. When looking into other ingredients, plum pudding would have potentially been in the sandwich as well. So Lippett creates a sandwich including the roast beef, Christmas pudding with melted cheese on top, horse radish, pickled onions, watercress, and finished with a layer of Hellmann’s mayonnaise for a modern day touch.

Cordwell says of working with the Lippett: “We needed someone that was going to bring that recipe to life in a way that does it justice, and actually does justice for the town and Ben absolutely did that.”

Serving up the sandwich

Having decided that the only rightful place that makes the perfect setting to enjoy a historical lunch is in the historical town of Sandwich.

Cordwell shared that Edelman turned the project around in just two months and had amazing local support. He says "The Sandwich Council has been on board and I can't even believe that I'm sort of using the phrase like 'I'm working with the Sandwich Council.' It just sounds absolutely fantastic."

After a ceremonial cutting of the sandwich in the town's Guildhall, The Crispin Inn became filled with residents of the coastal town to enjoy the recreation being served up for lunch along with a brass brand symphony. Each table was set out with Hellmann's napkins, menu, and of course an iconic bottle of mayo, for extra dipping. The pub sold out of the initial 150 promotional sandwiches, while selling another 60 that weekend.

Villagers and tourists from as far as New Zealand turned out to the popular event. “There was a lineup outside the pub. Every room inside was full. Loads of people showed up for the sandwich cutting ceremony, and that was packed as well. So, to be honest, we couldn't be happier.”

Another integral part was creating a buzz on social media and TikTok influencers @CharlieBetts and @Niall Gray were chosen for the job, bringing Gen Z up to speed on "the original influencer" The Earl of Sandwich's eating habits.

@CharlieBetts TikTok from the day.

Cordwell says “We wanted to pick people that were authentic to this that would genuinely be as excited about this project as we are, and that we almost see their passion spit all out into the content. We always find that we make better content with people that are actually genuinely going to be interested in the subject matter that resonates with their audiences as well, because there's no point pushing to people that wouldn't really normally care.”

By recreating a sandwich like no other, with the help of Edelman, Hellmann's has celebrated a piece of delicious history while at the same time reminding consumers of the tasty role it continues to play in their lunchtime habits.