The Just Mayo Case: An Example of How Multidisciplinary Advocacy Works

Two years ago, Hellmann's Mayonnaise sued Just Mayo - a Bay Area maker of eggless, vegan mayo -- for false advertising. Hellmann's argued that eggless mayo wasn't really mayo at all, because the FDA says mayo must contain eggs (according to Hellmann's). In addition to its legal defense, Just Mayo launched a digital counter-attack with social campaigns on Facebook and Twitter and an on-line change.org petition that garnered over 122,000 signatures. Hellmann's dropped its suit. It's doubtful whether Just Mayo would have been that successful that fast against Hellmann's, which is owned by global giant Unilever, had the startup restricted its response to traditional legal strategies.