Hellmann's 2022 Super Bowl Ad Tackles Food Waste

The teasers for more and more food-focused Super Bowl commercials are here, and fans can't get enough. The latest promotional smile comes to you from the folks at Hellmann's mayonnaise. In an early teaser, viewers see New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, as well as his wife, Chantel Mayo. And the couple's last name should add some clues as to the focus of this new promo.

Mayo plays a parody version of himself and is joined by NFL linebacker Lester Speight as the fictional "Officer Linebacker Terry Tate" who arrives from "Hellmann's Special Ops" (per AdAge). As Hellmann's shared in a press release, the theme of the commercial is to tackle food waste, as Mayo helps form a "Mayo x Mayo food waste tackling team" and is coached through the tackling process by the "legendary" Tate. 

Part of this "tackling" is teaching people how to use mayonnaise to help increase the deliciousness of leftovers and minimize wasted food. According to ReFed, 43% of all food waste happens at home (via Hellmann's).

Hellmann's 2022 Super Bowl ad spot isn't the first time the company has taken a stand against food waste. Hellmann's 2021 Super Bowl commercial starred Amy Schumer as fans' "Fairy God Mayo," showcasing the ways Hellmann's mayo could be used in various foods so they wouldn't get tossed.

Hellmann's also has a detailed website exploring how and why so much food is wasted. The company's #MakeTasteNotWaste campaign includes partnerships with nonprofits like the Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) and ReFED. The brand notes that the most-wasted foods in the average refrigerator are typically veggies, chicken, potatoes, bread, and cheese. To solve the issue of what to do with all of those leftovers, Hellmann's offers mayo-based recipe ideas for fans.

Food waste isn't a laughing matter. But if the Hellmann's promo gets fans smiling and thinking about how to avoid the issue, it's a win-win.