Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Introduction to advertising blog tasks'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54 (p62). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. You may also want to re-watch the Marmite Gene Project advert above.
Answer the following questions on your blog:
1) How does the Marmite Gene Project advert use narrative? Apply some narrative theories here.
The advert follows Levi-Strauss’s Binary Opposition by dividing people into two groups: those who “love” or “hate” Marmite. Since Marmite is already a divisive product, the brand uses this controversy as a marketing strategy to engage its audience.
It also applies Propp’s Character Types, using the false hero in a humorous way. For example, the pregnant couple, elderly couple, and mother and daughter represent those who have been “tricked” into liking or disliking Marmite. This satirical approach makes the advert more entertaining and memorable.
2) What persuasive techniques are used by the Marmite advert?
The advert encourages the audience to take a side—are you a “lover” or a “hater”? It uses emotional appeal by tapping into people’s strong feelings about the product. A striking example is the pregnant woman carrying the baby of a hater, which plays on the idea of deep-rooted preferences.
3) Focusing specifically on the Media Magazine article, what does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?
John Berger states that “All publicity works on anxiety.” Advertising makes people feel like they need to improve themselves and suggests that buying a product will make them a better version of themselves.
4) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?
Referencing is when people imagine themselves being transformed by a product. Advertisers suggest that using their product will make them more desirable, and others will envy them. This links to persuasive techniques like bandwagon appeal (everyone else has it, so you should too) and expert opinion (trusting authority figures).
5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?
The “End Marmite Neglect” advert parodies TV documentaries about animal rescue. Instead of saving animals, the officers in the ad “rescue” jars of Marmite from neglected cupboards. This technique makes the advert humorous and engaging. The repetition of the brand name throughout the ad reinforces its presence in the audience’s mind.
6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?
Popular Culture includes common trends like TV, fashion, and social media.
High Culture is associated with the elite, such as classical music, fine art, and literature.
Marmite taps into popular culture by using the “lover or hater” idea, which reflects modern social debates and internet trends.
7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?
Postmodern consumers know they are being influenced by advertising but still engage with it for entertainment or status. Marmite plays on this by making their audience feel like they are in on the joke, giving them a sense of superiority.
8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?
Postmodern ads blur reality and fiction. The #MarmiteNeglect campaign is based on real consumer research showing that people forget about Marmite in their cupboards. The ad turns this everyday truth into an exaggerated “social issue,” mimicking dramatic stories like A Child Called It, making it both funny and self-aware.
A/A* extension task
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