Love at first bite

April 24th 2023 By Ella Hughes 1 minute read

Marmite has its fair share of lovers and haters.

Some of us love it on toast, with roast potatoes (WTF) and after a quick Google search, apparently, people even love it on spaghetti (yeah, really WTF). 

Whereas, on the other hand, some people can’t stand the thought of it, let alone consider chucking it in their spaghetti bolognese. Sorry, Nigella. 

But, why are we so divided over this savoury spread? 

Well, I’m glad you (OK, I) asked. 

It’s in your genes. There are apparently 15 different genes linked to your marmite preference. This would mean that technically we are born with either a ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ preference. 

It’s an immutable characteristic, it seems.

And it’s something the brand has played upon in its marketing for years. So much so that “It’s a bit marmite” is now a phrase to highlight a polarising feature or topic.

As they say, “Don’t fix what ain't broken” and in Marmite’s most recent campaign, the brand went firmly down this route again with a one-minute ad, focusing on parents to be finding out, via a scan, whether their child was a marmite lover or a marmite hater. An all-important question, tbf – forget gender, we need to know their stance on the marmite debate. 

The mothers-to-be enjoyed (or you know, didn’t enjoy, for some) a slice of marmite on toast before having an ultrasound that showed the baby’s reaction to the food – using the premise that babies respond to the different tastes of foods eaten by their mothers. 

Filmed in a documentary style, after the scans, it focuses on the reactions of the parents, and whether they are overjoyed or disappointed at their baby’s marmite preference. 

The video ends with a still of a jar of marmite with the copy ‘Lover or Hater. What are you expecting?’ and a link to the website where you can sign up to find out if your own baby is a lover or hater of marmite. A real offer (albeit with limited slots), it’s a nice CTA that gives the campaign authenticity.

Overall though it’s a really nice example of a brand using a polarising feature of its identity and turning it into a fun and light-hearted conversation that its audience can get involved with. 

Want to do something similar for your brand? Get in touch - we’d love to chat. And we won’t judge you based on your marmite preference. We promise.

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