Marmite’s latest campaign divides UK audiences

Marmite’s new outdoor campaign has proved highly divisive with audiences, according to data from System1. 

Love it. Hate it. Cook with it., Marmite’s latest campaign showcases a series of comforting favourites, from cheesy pizzas to hearty pasta dishes, all looking irresistibly familiar at first glance. Look closer, and the iconic Marmite jar appears alongside each dish, playfully inviting viewers into the brand’s signature debate between lovers and haters. 

It is a strategic masterclass in making the product the hero, extending Marmite’s long-standing, humorous take on the nation’s divided opinion while confidently stepping into new culinary territory. 

Testing the campaign with a nationally representative UK audience via System1’s Test Your Ad Outdoor platform highlights its impact. While 8% of viewers reported feelings of disgust, notably higher than the outdoor average, a significantly larger 27% felt happiness in response to the inventive dishes. The result is a campaign that leans into Marmite’s polarising nature while reinforcing its distinctive and enduring brand positioning in a fresh, engaging way. 

System1’s research consistently highlights the importance of creating advertising that evokes strong emotional responses, as explored in its recent report, The Cure for Dull. The findings show that brands can cut through a sea of sameness and drive meaningful commercial growth by tapping into emotion-led creativity. Humour emerges as the most effective driver of happiness in overcoming dull or neutral advertising across formats, and Marmite’s campaign strongly over-indexes on this emotion. 

“This campaign is built on a brilliantly simple insight. Most people still pigeonhole Marmite as a breakfast staple, something for toast or crumpets, but here the brand challenges that by showing up in unexpected, everyday meals and reframing it as a versatile ingredient. You might not like it on bread, but you might love it in a stir fry. That tension is where the magic happens. At System1 we see that negative emotion, as well as positive, can drive short-term action, and Marmite strikes that balance well. There is always a risk of pushing too far into disgust, but for a brand that already divides opinion, leaning into that controversy is a smart way to cut through and drive trial,” said Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer, Advertising at System1.