Hellmann’s wants to quash food waste by putting it between two slices of bread. 

The Unilever brand has launched a new campaign for the holiday season that’s all about sandwiches and its spreads. With media handled domestically by Edelman, “Between 2 Slices” is a cross-border campaign targeting Canadian and American consumers, encouraging them to prepare a meal using holiday leftovers, two slices of bread and Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

The campaign debuted with a print advertisement in The Globe and Mail in October, but kicks into full gear for December with an OOH campaign focused on bus shelters in Toronto and Vancouver. In the U.S., OOH and print advertising started appearing in Orlando and New York earlier this month ahead of the American Thanksgiving this weekend. 

Designed by Bangkok-based Illusion CGI Studio, the ads feature key seasonal moments where leftovers could be repurposed with Hellmann’s mayo – all showcased between two slices of bread.   

“The core message of reducing food waste through creating tasty sandwiches remains consistent across our strategy for both the U.S. and Canada. However, each campaign has touchpoints that align with the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons for that market,” says Hellmann’s marketing lead in Canada, Kristen Denega.

Hellmann’s created the campaign after conducting an online survey of 1,564 Canadians and 1,006 Americans in North America from Sep. 15 to 17 that showed 35% of Canadians think food doesn’t taste good the second time around. Forty-four percent of Canadians and 50% of Americans also said they throw away leftover food after holidays and large family gatherings.

“Between 2 Slices” is part of the Make Taste, Not Waste initiative that Hellmann’s has been running since 2020 to reduce food waste. The company has a space on its website where it shows different recipes using food scraps. It also has a free app that offers coupons for Hellmann’s products each time consumers complete a food reuse challenge.