Grey Poupon Case Study

Ever heard of Grey Poupon?

I hadn’t. It turns out that it’s a premium mustard. Here’s an old ad – this, of course, is the British version.

As you can see, the ad screams premium branding, and the American version is no different. It’s a good ad – a touch of light comedy, and it communicates the brand value well.

But it failed to drive sales for the strangest reason. It turns out that people bought Grey Poupon, but they then never used it because it was too premium. They actually used crappy mustard, but saved the Grey Poupon for special occasions. So it sat in the larder, and they never bought another one.

The solution? They changed the packaging from the premium thick glass jar … to a squeezy bottle. And here it is, snapped at a local eatery.