Behind the Idea: Love it or hate it

Geoff Gower is digital creative director at archibald ingall stretton…  

A self-proclaimed lover of the classic and distinctive spread, Gower is impressed by a new campaign to launch the Marmite Cereal Bar. It takes a brave brand to acknowledge that some people may hate its product.  It takes an even braver one to run a national advertising campaign around the idea.  The campaign acknowledges that the cereal bar may be a product extension too far and plays on ‘love us or hate us’ advertising that Gower thinks has done wonders for the brand.

 ‘Spoof ads that play on advertising clichés will always be popular,’ says Gower.  ‘Using them to then bring consumers round to the view that a savoury cereal bar is reasonable is brave indeed.’

Created by ad agency DDB, the initial inspiration for the campaign came from wondering what would truly be a product too far, explains copywriter Will Lowe. ‘The art direction of the ads intentionally played on the advertising clichés that you see again and again; the child on the towels, the man in the shower, and the thin perfume model,’ says Lowe.

 
 
 

Marmite Perfume and Fabric Softener appeared online in early March. The hoax products initially bewildered members of the public who came across them.  ‘A number of the Facebook Love Marmite group members actually thought the products were real and have been trying to buy them,’ adds Lowe.

Meanwhile, two sets of posters launched nationally.  One set reveals the hoax with it’s strapline ‘This may be too far, but how about this?’  A second set is running without the strapline, leading the public to think that Marmite Fabric Softener might well be the real thing. 

The packaging for all three products was designed specially for the shoot and n sits in DDB’s reception in London. The perfume bottle is based on the original Marmite jar from the 1960s, which was translucent rather than opaque to show the product inside. 

‘This is a fun and engaging idea,’ says Gower.  ‘These days it's difficult to earn more than a few milliseconds of customers’ time but these ads really achieve this. Brands have to have enormous confidence to pull off ‘tongue-in-cheek’ so successfully.‘

Comments

[Suzy Rigg]

I love this campaign and the sampling element at Waterloo Station. Hoards of people took samples of the new savoury snack; not sure if that was caused by hunger or pack behaviour? I haven't eaten mine yet, but I noticed a tall guy eating his that evening! (He hadn't thrown it away then). A leap of faith for snackers and a leap of faith for Gower. Nice work.
Suzy
www.milknosugarcommunications.com
@radiantlady

[Keith]

It was interesting to read that Marmite's new spoof ads were inspired by wondering what would be a product too far for Marmite, ironically I think those new cereal bars are exactly that. I was handed one recently to try at Liverpool Street, I took one bite and had to throw it in the direction of the nearest pigeon. It was awful which was a shame because I love Marmite and with this they've proved it only works on toast.

[justina]

when i first saw advertisement with Marmite softener i was in underground station, and i stoped for few seconds coz i couldnt believe Marmite brand made a Softener! then i understood they advertising a new Marmite cereal bar! i had smile on my face for a whole journey :))) i hate marmite taste but in my opinion the idea of new advertisements just briliant. i really love their campaign and every time i see these ads i SMILE. Wonderful!

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