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You Say Tomato, I Say Mayo
September 07, 2007

Factoid #2

by Scott Muoio

I had heard the stories for years but not since returning to Seattle had I seen it with my own eyes. It is something so freaky, so otherworldly that no mere mortal can truly comprehend its perversity. Yes, my friends, the tale I am going to tell is the strange phenomenon of déjà vu in the supermarket, another bastion of the bizarre world of American marketing mania.

In the eastern portion of the United States we see it as Hellman’s mayonnaise. West of the Rocky Mountains it is Best Foods’ mayonnaise. Same product, different name, and where it gets freaky is in the packaging. But it doesn’t stop at mayonnaise.

In the eastern potion of the United States we see it as Edy’s ice cream. West of the Rocky Mountains it is Dreyer’s. Same product, different name, and where it gets freaky is in the packaging. As Yogi Berra quipped, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” But this déjà vu isn’t merely a figure of your imagination; this is the real thing, only slightly different.

Two packages, seemingly the same save the letters that adorn their respective wrappers. Same great tastes but represented by different banners. Bizarre, perverse, and frustrating enough that it might give you nightmares. But why, if both respective products are nearly identical and owned by the same companies, put our fragile psyches through hell just to appease fan bases nestled on different oceanic coasts? The answer is simple: sweet, sweet moolah.

Fickle consumers hate change, or so says market research, and big companies demand a unifying brand. So when buyouts occurred in the mayo and ice cream industries, the packaging changed and the products, more or less, remained the same.

Now comes the big question: is there a difference? Personally, I have tasted products on both sides of the Rockies and whether talking Hellman’s/Best or Edy’s/Dreyer’s I find little difference between the two and all four delicious. Others may disagree, however, as is their prerogative, noting extra tang in their Best’s or more brownie bites in their Edy’s, but until east meets west face-to-face can the world ever completely understand the subtle differences that may or may not be apparent in this cold war of branding? That, my friends, is for the experts and the scientists to decide, not this humble reporter.

The Edy's and Dreyer's images above are the property of their respective owners. They are used on this site solely to illustrate the brands in question.

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Noted something strange or interesting in or about Seattle? Tell us about it. Email scottmuoio@undependentmedia.com

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