With Football Fans And Challenger Strategies, Duke's Mayo Keeps On Growing

MediaPost | January 9, 2026

by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer

Duke’s Mayo has been a Southern staple for more than a century, born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1917. For most of that time, it stayed tightly regional. Now the Richmond, Virginia-based brand is turning its cult status into a national challenger, launching “The Mayo Is Coming,” a national ad campaign created by Familiar Creatures, and using its Duke’s Mayo Bowl to harness fan culture and weird rituals, with a very un-mayo-like tone.

It’s all working. Duke’s, now in roughly 65% of stores that sell mayonnaise, has increased its dollar share of the market to about 10%, moving into second place behind Hellmann’s. Rebecca Lupesco, director of marketing, tells CPG Insider which brand strategies are working best.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CPG Insider: You’ve recently passed Kraft to become the No. 2 position in a crowded category, which is a big deal. How do you describe Duke’s as a challenger?

Rebecca Lupesco: If you walk into the mayonnaise aisle, it’s just a sea of blue. Duke’s has been around for 100 years. We have the same recipe since 1917. We have the traditions and values that go with being an established brand, but we’re still different from the rest of the category. It’s not just our yellow presence -- it’s our flavor. There’s no sugar, which is unique to the category, and there's apple cider vinegar, which gives us our signature tanginess and a richer taste. We’re known for that, and we can bring that excitement into the mayo aisle, both in-store and outside.

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