Here are Andy Samberg and Elle Fanning in a commercial that I guess will appear somewhere during next week’s Super Bowl, costing the folks who make this product half a jillion dollars.
I was a bit confused about whether it was for Hellman’s mayonnaise or Best Foods as there are online versions of this spot for each. I became unconfused when I came across this online explanation from A.I. which, as we all know, is never wrong about anything…
Hellmann’s and Best Foods are essentially the same mayonnaise, owned by Unilever, but sold under different names due to strong regional loyalty: Hellmann’s dominates the East, while Best Foods is used in the West (west of the Rockies) in the U.S., with both having identical recipes and ingredients as of recent years, though some consumers claim subtle taste differences. Best Foods acquired Hellmann’s in 1932, but kept both names to satisfy local preferences, with the iconic blue ribbon and creamy texture remaining consistent across both brands, despite the regional split.
The most interesting thing to me about this spot is that it was shot at my favorite delicatessen, Canter’s Deli over on Fairfax. I’ve been going there for a long time. Over lunch at Canter’s in 1969 is where Jack Kirby swore me and my pal Steve Sherman to secrecy, told us he was about to leave Marvel to join DC and asked us to become his assistants. I go to Canter’s often although one day a few months ago, I went and found it was closed because someone was filming something there. Maybe it was this commercial.
I don’t think, by the way, Canter’s uses Hellman’s or Best Foods mayo, though maybe they do now. In the past, if you asked for mayo on anything there — especially corned beef or pastrami — the servers were apparently ordered to give you a withering sneer…
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