VCU spreads school spirit with limited-edition mayonnaise

By VCU News staff

Bringing its UNCOMMON brand to one of America’s most common condiments, Virginia Commonwealth University is releasing a limited-edition, black-and-gold “May-UN-naise” next month – and kicking off a one-month sales window to embrace National Mayonnaise Day in May.

For mayonnaise lovers who immediately salivate at the prospect of an unctuous new spread, the product is available for preorder starting today, April 1.

May-UN-naise is part of VCU Business Services’ expansion of licensed products that build the VCU brand in the consumer marketplace, a roster that now ranges from hats and familiar attire to home décor and toys. Sparked by an idea from a mayo-loving VCU Business Services intern, May-UN-naise was developed over a six-month period with a private-label commercial food producer.

An unlikely start

“I’m obsessed with mayonnaise – I put it on everything,” said the intern, Ray Walden, who is a supply chain management major. “One morning I was in the office, and my boss was freaking out because I was putting mayo on my Pop-Tart.” They argued over the merits of mayonnaise, and Walden made the case that it didn’t have to be boring and that it could pair with anything.

“And I just had this lightbulb moment – black and gold mayo for VCU,” Walden said. “My boss at Business Services floated it up the chain, and everyone said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

May-UN-naise gets its distinctive black-and-gold layers from two ingredients – squid ink and turmeric – whose natural flavor profiles complement and build on traditional mayonnaise. Its overwhelming success in taste-test panels accelerated the release schedule to tie into National Mayonnaise Day, which is May 5.

To assess and potentially build on that momentum, VCU has authorized a one-month sales rollout of May-UN-naise during that month to gauge sales.

“When I learned of how May-UN-naise went from concept to reality so quickly and successfully – and how it reflects VCU’s multidisciplinary approach to learning, research, operations, health care and more – I encouraged the team to lay it on thick, push forward and aim high,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “We hope its success will – yes – spread.”

Ingredients for success

The two special ingredients in May-UN-naise come from suppliers that emphasize responsible sourcing, and the impact on the product is more than visual.

• Squid ink, which provides the bluish-black color in May-UN-naise, has a briny, umami essence that complements the lemon juice or other acids in traditional mayonnaise. 

• Turmeric, with its deep and rich gold hue, has an earthier flavor with notes of mustard, which also pairs well with the egg yolk and oil that are the foundation of mayonnaise.

 “May-UN-naise isn’t just a novelty. As we witnessed the taste-test panels and analyzed their feedback, we knew we had a serious product,” said Stephen Barr, director of VCU Business Services. “The squid ink and turmeric elevate the overall flavor profile, so it’s not as plain as some mayo, nor is it just tangy or some low-end aioli. May-UN-naise has a taste of its own.”

Masses of mayo 

By some metrics, mayonnaise has surpassed ketchup as the leader in the American condiment market, and mayonnaise sales worldwide in 2025 were estimated at nearly $14 billion.

VCU Dining Services also tracks consumption by students, faculty, staff and others who visit its dining halls and other eateries, and VCU’s annual consumption is estimated to be equivalent to 57,000 individually sized food-service packets.

If the initial one-month rollout of May-Un-naise goes well, Rams can expect to find the mayo for sale at Ram City Market, both campus Barnes & Noble locations and possibly local grocery stores, as well as at campus eateries and the Siegel Center. A community launch event is tentatively planned to take place on Richmond’s Mayo Island.

Spreading the effort at VCU

May-UN-naise has a number of tie-ins to VCU operating and academic units. After Walden, the Business Services intern, raised the idea of a VCU-branded mayonnaise, the da Vinci Center for Innovation’s Shift Retail Lab offered expertise from its Shelfie program that tests products in the consumer marketplace. 

VCU’s Brandcenter then helped develop initial brand management strategy and product positioning. And at the School of the Arts, three students were identified in the recent fall semester to work on label design, which was recently finalized.

“Beyond its unique flavor, May-UN-naise reflects the collaborative pipeline we’ve built to move VCU research into the marketplace,” said Ivelina Metcheva, Ph.D., VCU’s assistant vice president for innovation. "This is a VCU-grown innovation designed for tangible societal and economic impact. I believe it perfectly illustrates our mission to foster entrepreneurship and bring world-class recognition to our inventors by turning university brilliance into public benefit. And I look forward to trying it on a Pop-Tart.”

May-UN-naise is available for preorder on the VCU Merchandise website.