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 Marmite Gene Project advert uses a narrative and Propp's theory of the 7 character spheres to help support the narrative portraying marmite as the damsel in distress that needs saving and that the marmite team are the heroes as they save the marmite from being in the consumers house that love to eat marmite which makes them the villain. 

2) What persuasive techniques are used by the Marmite advert?

The Marmite advert uses persuasive techniques such as there slogan "Either You Love It OR Hate It" which tries persuading people to join the debate and decide for themselves. 

3) Focusing specifically on the Media Magazine article, what does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

Advertising seeks to make us dissatisfied with our present selves and promotes the idea that we can buy our way to a better life. ‘All publicity works on anxiety’ suggested John Berger in his seminal book Ways of Seeing (1972).

4) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

Psychologists in the field call this referencing. We refer, either knowingly or subconsciously, to lifestyles represented to us (through the media or in real life) that we find attractive. We create a vision of ourselves living this idealised lifestyle, and then behave in ways that help us to realise this vision.

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

In 2007 an 18-month, £3m campaign featured the 1970s cartoon character Paddington Bear. These adverts continued the ‘love it or hate it’ theme, but also incorporated nostalgic elements that appeal to the family member with responsibility for getting the grocery shopping done.

6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?

 Since 1840, the British royal family have had approval that has been used to promote products, with a warrant entitling them to use the strapline ‘By appointment to Her Majesty the Queen’ alongside the royal crest. Unilever has spoofed this approach, with the Ma’amite series of advertisements, typifying the irreverent nature of their product – breadsticks form a crown and the Queen’s corgi dogs replace the lion and unicorn. The motto ‘One either loves it or hates it’ is a delightful comic conjoining of the familiar product slogan and the Queen’s idiosyncratic speech.

7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?

Postmodern audiences understand that they are being played with and manipulated with by marketing. Marmite use this to their advantage as if the advertisement brings humour and joke and love the advert then it'll help spread the message of the Marmite product more clearly as it would be free advertisement of their product from word of mouth from their consumers.  

8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

 They understand the conventions that are being deployed and satirised. Postmodern consumers are simultaneously aware that they are being exploited, yet also prepared to play the game – if it brings them a sense of superiority and social cache. Postmodern consumers get the joke and, in doing so, they themselves may become promotional agents of the product through word-of mouth. This helps them be really good at postmodernism as they understand how to appeal to an audience and gain attention to their product whether you 'Love It Or Hate It'.