Mrs Elswood's Gherkins Puts Some Punch in Your Lunch

The UK’s #No.1 gherkin brand, and part of the Empire Bespoke Foods portfolio, is launching its first TV advertising campaign highlighting how a humble gherkin can supercharge lunches up and down the country.

Mrs Elswood is investing heavily in the brand’s first campaign, designed to show families just how gherkins really can put “some punch in your lunch”. With one in six spending their lunch breaks at home, the campaign is set to inspire consumers to include gherkins to brighten up the lunchtime occasion. 

Mrs Elswood has been pickling cucumbers for 75 years and with more than a 20% value share of total category, is the nation’s most loved gherkin brand.

The creative campaign kicks off on ITV and paid digital, including in ITV Good Morning Britain, on 22nd January 2024. It will be supported by social media through Mrs Elswood’s presence on Instagram and Facebook.

The TV campaign sees people at home preparing their lunch, a sandwich and a burger, with the hero ingredient front and centre - Mrs Elswood gherkins. Each person takes a bite and is literally ‘hit’ by the “whole mouth feeling” only a gherkin can deliver. The campaign’s irreverent visual style and energetic voiceover demonstrate how Mrs Elswood gherkins liven up anything they are paired with.

It is the brainchild of London-based creative agency Kitchen, in close partnership with independent media experts JAA. 

Matthew Moyes, marketing controller, Mrs Elswood, said, “Several things have aligned in recent years that suggest the humble gherkin is poised for strong growth. Increased home working has millions peering into their fridges at midday wondering how to liven up their lunches.  The heath megatrend sees vegetable snacking well placed – work to be done to properly unlock this for gherkins. Finally, with 6.8 billion sandwich occasions in the UK each year and only 0.4% of those containing a gherkin – we see have massive space for growth.” 

“Through our campaign, we want to bring the personality and fun of Mrs Elswood to life and remind consumers just what the humble gherkin can do to a sandwich, a salad or a burger.”

Ed Chilcott, founding partner, Kitchen added, “The lunchtime occasion is so ownable for Mrs Elswood - if you haven’t tried a gherkin in a sandwich, you haven’t lived! We’ve enjoyed every minute working on this campaign. A wonderfully quirky product and an equally adventurous client. We look forward to seeing where the journey takes us, the brand and the business.”