French’s Taps Tom Colicchio to Get Consumers to Switch From Mayo to Mustard

CM sister pub Event Marketer wrapped the Experiential Marketing Summit—spring edition—earlier this week. The talk of the show was producing experiences that are at once engaging and COVID-friendly—from F&B choices to proper layouts to regional guidelines.

One such example, according to a case study in Event Marketer, is a recent New York City pop-up from French’s mustard that complied with local dining restrictions and social distancing rules without compromising on design, engagement, creativity…or taste.

With the incentive of receiving a free sandwich made by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, approximately 750 New Yorkers promised to switch from mayo to mustard—which the brand positioned as a tastier and healthier alternative to mayonnaise.

The “MustSwitch” campaign asked consumers to trade in a bottle of mayonnaise or sign an actual pledge to switch to mustard in return for a sandwich that used French’s mustard in two ways: as a braising liquid for flank steak and a condiment on top of a melee of sautéed mushrooms, marinated cauliflower and arugula.

Situated at Colicchio’s private dining space adjacent to the chef’s flagship restaurant Craft, the pop-up was designed to reinforce the campaign’s “must switch” messaging. As customers moved through the space, coloring shifted from all-white to all-yellow. Those who arrived with bottles of mayo to trade in could roll their bottles down a chute and make the “pledge” at a step-and-repeat.

The activation complied with New York City indoor dining restrictions by embracing a grab-and-go system and offering make-at-home sandwich kits online. For more details on the campaign, read on in Event Marketer.