RICHMOND, Va. — Sandwiches, salads, deviled eggs and...tattoos? Duke's Mayonnaise might just become the most tattooed mayo brand in the world after a unique pop-up event they're hosting in Richmond with Yellow Bird Tattoo.
Die-hard Duke's mayo fans can sign up for an appointment to get a free, flash tattoo at the shop during the event on May 13. The tattoos will all be related to Duke's or mayonnaise in some way — but all of the pre-drawn designs on the flash sheet that you can choose from won't be revealed until the day of the event.
The limited appointment slots open at 11 a.m. on April 27. You can find out how to sign up on Duke's social media pages. Appointments are first-come, first-served, but there will be a waiting list.
"We're a passion brand. We're a cult brand," said Duke's Brand Manager of Mayo Rebecca Lupesco. "It's more than just the mayonnaise. It's really how we, you know, have fit into their lives, either...it's kind of a tradition and of something they had growing up, or maybe it was something they discovered when they moved down south or started kind of experimenting with cooking and other foods."
Lupesco said the idea for hosting this eccentric event in Richmond was stimulated by a number of things.
Duke's was created and is still produced in South Carolina, but they are headquartered in Richmond. In addition to that, Richmond is known for its foodie and tattoo culture.
And if you've ever worked in the restaurant business, you know those things can kind of go hand-in-hand.
Duke's recently started producing a series called "House of Twang" on their website, where they feature behind-the-scenes views into iconic southern restaurants that, of course, use their mayonnaise. One of the restaurants featured was Cobra Burger, located at 400 N 27th Street.
Members of the staff collectively got Duke's-themed tattoos at Yellow Bird after the feature, which is part of what helped inspire the partnership.
While it may seem crazy to permanently tattoo your love for a condiment on your body forever, it's not the wildest request the brand has experienced.
Lupesco said they receive fan art all the time, everything from paintings to jewelry, and they even get requests for empty Duke's jars for people to use as an urn for family members' ashes.
"The jar and the brand do really well, like in this creative art space, and tattoos are just another way to, you know, bring the brand to life basically," said Lupesco.
The company has created a special Instagram account (@dukesmayotattoos) where they will feature fan tattoos from the event, as well as photos of other Duke's-themed tattoos they get sent to them.
Lupesco added, "It's really supposed to be just a fun way to kind of show your love for maybe the mayonnaise, Richmond, for tattoos and of course, for food in general."
