A Perfect Storm of Innovation and Timing
Marks & Spencer’s Limited Edition Red Diamond™ Strawberries & Crème sandwich, which launched in late June 2025, became an overnight sensation. Inspired by Japan’s beloved “furutsu sando,” the sandwich features slices of sweetened milk-bread filled with whipped cream cheese and succulent “Red Diamond” strawberries. Within days of its release, it soared to become M&S’s top-selling sandwich, exploding across TikTok and Instagram with tens of thousands of user-generated posts and sparking widespread media commentary.
Visual Aesthetic & Photogenic Design
The sandwich's visual appeal was a key driver of its viral success. The high-contrast colour palette, with the vibrant red of the strawberries set against the stark white cream and pale bread, created an eye-catching image perfectly suited for vertical video feeds and Instagram grids. Reviewers described it as "clickbait food," noting that the neatly layered filling and pillowy bread looked almost too good to eat, encouraging users to pause their scrolling and engage. As digital food trends authority Sigep explains, popular food trends often "explode for… eye-catching visuals" that are "easy to replicate" and ideal for quick tutorials.
Cultural Resonance & Seasonal Timing
The Strawberries & Crème sandwich tapped into deep-seated British cultural traditions. The flavour combination is synonymous with summer rituals, most notably Wimbledon, evoking a sense of seasonal nostalgia. By referencing the Japanese furutsu sando, M&S skilfully blended exotic novelty with familiar comfort, giving the product a fashion-forward edge without alienating its core customer base. The limited-time offer, strategically launched just before Wimbledon week and at the height of picnic season, maximised its shareability during peak strawberry season.
Novelty & Scarcity Appeal
M&S positioned the product as its first-ever “dessert sandwich,” a move that generated immediate press interest and social media buzz. Even critical commentary, with some questioning whether a sweet sandwich could be considered "food," inadvertently amplified its visibility by fueling public debate. The limited-edition nature of the sandwich created a sense of urgency, or "fear of missing out" (FOMO), prompting shoppers to purchase, film, and post about it before it disappeared from shelves.
Social Media Mechanics & Algorithm Amplification
The sandwich was perfectly engineered for social media success. TikTok’s algorithm, which favours content with high early engagement, quickly boosted videos tagged with #strawberriesandcream into the feeds of millions. The simplicity of the "unpack and bite" video format allowed creators to produce a flood of user-generated content without the need for elaborate production. These short clips, often capturing first-bite reactions, leveraged the high-arousal emotional responses that are known to drive shareability.
Accessibility & Price-Point Strategy
At £2.80 and just 290 calories, the sandwich was positioned as an affordable and "lighter" indulgence compared to traditional cakes or pastries, broadening its appeal. Its availability in M&S Foodhalls made it a convenient grab-and-go treat, perfectly suited for on-screen "haul" videos and weekend picnic reels that are popular on social media.
Influencers & User-Generated Content
The hype was further legitimised by food reviewers and lifestyle influencers who posted early taste tests. One viral clip, for example, garnered 6,900 likes and 168 comments. The #strawberriesandcream hashtag amassed over 22,900 posts in under a week, with many users tagging M&S or mentioning Wimbledon, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of discovery and engagement.
Brand Trust & Media Coverage
As a trusted premium grocer known for innovation, M&S benefited from its established credibility. Major media outlets, from The Times to Retail Gazette, published stories within days of the launch. Even a debate over the sandwich's VAT classification provided free publicity, extending the conversation beyond culinary circles and into financial news.
Conclusion
The viral success of the Strawberries & Crème sandwich was not a matter of chance but the result of a meticulously crafted strategy. By combining visually appealing design, cultural resonance, limited-edition scarcity, and a savvy understanding of social media mechanics, M&S engineered a perfect storm. The sandwich ticked all the boxes for a modern food trend—visual appeal, seasonal nostalgia, influencer seeding, algorithm-friendly simplicity, and accessible pricing—cementing its place in the summer 2025 zeitgeist.