the task
Frank’s RedHot has been the beloved sauce behind Buffalo wings since 1964. Sixty years later, McCormick took that iconic heat and combined it into a creamy mayonnaise. As part of this launch, we wanted to prove Frank’s RedHot Spicy Mayo’s place on menus. A condiment that could elevate a dish, drive footfall and get people talking. The ask: partner with a QSR operator and make some noise.
the solution
We found the perfect match with Wingmans.
Wingmans built its reputation on comfort food with fusion flavour. Their crowd are flavour-chasers. They queue for the heat, crunch and sauce that doesn’t play it safe.
Wingmans current sauces run from gochujang peanut butter drizzle with chilli lime mayo to Shanghai oriental, and truffle buffalo. They understand the science behind playful blends – sweet, salty, savoury, swavoury – you name it. The brand carries real credibility with a passionate, food-literate crowd in London – the kind of audience that posts, shares and comes back specifically because of what’s on the menu.
Working with co-founder Ben Ford, we developed The Big Frank: a crispy chicken thigh drizzled with hot honey, served in golden brioche with smoky bacon jam, American cheese, pickled onions and of course – Frank’s RedHot Spicy Mayo. A proper sandwich built around a sauce that takes the lead.
The Big Frank launched as a two-week special, 500 units – creating urgency and gave the promotion a natural story: get it before it’s gone.
We produced a video case study to amplify the collaboration across both brands’ social channels, showing the product in action and letting the food do the talking. Wingmans posted across Instagram, tagging both brands and leaning into the heat-forward messaging that their community responds to.
the results
The 500-unit cap sold out within the first week. Demand ran so far ahead of supply that Wingmans received a wave of “bring it back” messages. So, we restocked immediately and sold another 423… totalling 923 delicious sandwiches sold across the two-week window.
And crucially, as per our remit, the partnership got people talking…
- 254k opportunities to see via the six invited influencers
- 73k+ impressions on owned channels
- 1,768 engagements
- 3.12% engagement rate
- 85 saves
Ben Ford, Co-Founder, Wingmans
The result wasn’t just sales data. It was proof that the product performs exceptionally in a QSR environment, resonates with a passionate food audience and – critically – creates the kind of demand that outlasts the promotion itself. Creating a great case study for the McCormick team to demonstrate the potential of this NPD in the QSR sector.
