Hellmann's shows Gen Z gamers how to fight food waste

Hellmann's has unveiled a campaign to combat the fact that, around the world, currently a third of all food for human consumption is wasted. This behaviour is now being replicated in video games too, where gamers are incentivised to drop food when they run out of inventory space, as it is the lowest value item.

As a brand on a mission to make taste not waste, Hellmann’s spotted an opportunity to clear the galaxy of food waste wherever we see it.

That’s why Hellmann’s is entering a well-known galaxy with three Twitch creators to help reduce digital food waste and calling on all gamers to join the mission.

The goal? Go to the ends of the galaxy to collect 1,000 kilos of intergalactic food through a collect-a-thon. 

In turn, Hellmann’s will donate the equivalent of 50,000 meals to its partner FareShare UK. Virtual food collection for real-world impact.

Hellmann’s wants to bring the gaming community together and show a global Gen Z audience that food is, in fact, a valuable item. The campaign is entirely creator-led, featuring three UK-based creators with global audiences who will participate in collecting food:

• Cyborg Angel 

• Cadaea 

• Sunpi 

The collect-a-thon will take place between 15-18 February, concluding at midnight EST on 18 Sunday.

The mayo brand has discovered a very unusual player behavior in some of the world’s most popular video games: food is often treated as the lowest-possible value item in any player’s arsenal, resulting in A LOT of virtual food waste. When gamers feel the need to free up space, they will literally discard food in favour of other supplies like weapons, first aid, and clothing for their avatar.

Recognising that learned behaviour online translates to behaviour in the real world, Hellmann’s worked with agency partner Edelman to launch “No Space for Food Waste”. Galvanized by livestreams of three well-known Twitch creators, the brand is hosting a call to action from February 15-18 for gamers to collect as much discarded food as possible on a quest around one of the most popular games of the last year, Starfield.

Targeting a global Gen Z audience, those participating will aim to collect 1,000 kg of virtual food to demonstrate the widespread issue of food waste. Hellmann’s will then transfer this virtual bounty into real world impact with a donation of 50,000 meals to FareShare UK, a charity network aiming to reduce food waste and relieve food poverty.

Gamers have the chance to participate in “No Space for Food Waste” through midnight GMT on 18 February. The partnership aims to bring the online gaming community together to showcase that food is in fact a valuable item and that learned behaviour in the gaming world can be replicated in a positive way in the real world.