Duke’s Mayo Offered Free Tattoos and They Were So Popular, Hellmann’s Got Jealous

If you had asked me yesterday how many people in the world would get a Duke’s Mayonnaise tattoo (or any brand of mayonnaise for that matter) if it was offered for free, I would have said maybe five. Maybe

Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out Mythical Chef Josh is not the only one with an undying love for the creamy and controversial condiment; there are over a thousand people who love mayo so much they opted to wear an ode to it on their bodies. And, no, I don’t mean putting it in their hair like Sporked’s own Gwynedd Stuart—I am talking about mayo-themed tattoos. On their skin. Permanently. 

Duke’s, based out of Richmond, Virginia, knows its mayo has a cult following. Last Friday (the 13th, I might add) the brand took advantage of this fact by collaborating with Yellow Bird Tattoo—a tattoo parlor in the Richmond area—to give away free Duke’s Mayonnaise-themed tattoos, Food & Wine reports. People could choose from a preset list of 40 tattoo designs that came in one size only and could be placed on either a leg or an arm. The offer was so popular that within an hour of Duke’s initial Instagram post announcing the collab, all of the time slots were filled. Seventy people got free mayo tattoos in one day, with over 1,000 more ending up on the waitlist.

The specific designs included: the word “Duke’s” written as a skull’s teeth, a rose with a jar of mayo in the middle, a Grim Reaper with a jar of Duke’s for a face, a snail with a jar of Duke’s instead of a shell, and the words “Death Before Hellmann’s” written on a scroll over a table knife. There are more on their Instagram if you want to check it out!

Duke’s goal going into this, for whatever reason, was to be the most tattooed mayo brand (or at least more than Hellmann’s). I really hope they achieved that—or at least got close. They certainly got under their competitors’ skin, because Hellmann’s posted this to Instagram last Friday: “Are you a superfan who ALREADY has a Hellmann’s-themed tattoo? In honor of your love for our delicious condiment, show it off for a chance to win a year’s supply of Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise.” Duke’s responded by posting: “Bless your heart, @hellmannsmayonnaise. You saw our #tattoo event and just happened to do your own tattoo “thing” 🥶 Post your Duke’s #tattoo and tag it with #InkedWithHellmanns – and let the Mayo Wars begin.”

I know, this is a lot to take in. So take a moment, breathe, then please let me know in the comments if you have ever felt so strongly about mayonnaise that you would etch your love for the condiment onto your body. Forever.


About the Author

Jessica Block

Jessica Block is a freelance contributor to Sporked, a comedian, a baker, a food writer, and a firm believer that Trader Joe's may just be the happiest place on earth. She loves spicy snacks, Oreos, baking bread, teeny tiny avocados, and trying new foods whenever she can. Also, if you give her a bag of Takis she will be your best friend.