We love a good gorilla campaign. The latest comes from a surprising place. The new Marmite ad uses guerilla marketing and documentary-style storytelling to make a point. NYC needs more yeasty British spread, the diaspora desperately wants it there. Take a look at this poignant campaign.
Marmite ad recommends smuggling the product
British expats in New York City crave the sticky and polarizing spread. It turns out that the yeast extract is pretty hard to find in the stores of the Big Apple. There’s only one way to change that. Smuggling.
And that’s exactly what the video is about. Styled as a faux documentary, Vice-style, the campaign shows various Marmite smugglers taking the product across the ocean. It’s not quite the French connection, but the stakes are high.
Fans of the product will love the many lovely details included in the footage. Like the posters announcing the “hiring” of potential smugglers. Or the strong reaction of horror and distaste of the customs officer upon smelling the broken can of Marmite inside one of the smuggler’s luggage.
It’s fun. It’s very well-made, and it uses guerilla marketing techniques (posters on the street, fake situations presented like the real one, element of doubt) to make it even more hilarious. Of course, it’s all a mockumentary, but for one split second you believe the silliness.
Englishman in New York misses Marmite
“The one thing Sting failed to mention whilst being an Englishman in New York was the distinct lack of Marmite,” comments Adam&EveDDB (the agency behind the Marmite ad) CCO Richard Brim. “It’s real. So by enlisting willing Brits to smuggle jars of the spread through customs, we’re continuing to spread the love to our compatriots across the pond.”
The campaign also extends to TikTok, Marmite enjoys quite a following there too. The company is known for hilarious interactions with fans.
It’s not the first collab between Adam&EveDDB and Marmite. In 2023, there was “Love it. Hate it. Get it on.” A super-catchy jingle made for Marmite’s first-timers featured two puppets showing you what to do when you see the spread in front of you. The lyrics were “push that, grab that, stroke that, twist that, dip that, lick that.” “That” being Marmite of course.
Interested in more cool guerilla marketing campaigns? Kitcast Blog has compiled a list of the 5 Best Guerilla Marketing Examples.
