Marmite campaign sparks strong audience reactions

Marmite’s outdoor campaign is generating mixed emotional responses, with new data from System1 showing how the brand continues to lean into its polarising identity while expanding its culinary narrative.

The creative platform, Love it. Hate it. Cook with it., presents familiar comfort foods such as pizza and pasta, each paired with the unmistakable Marmite jar. The visuals encourage viewers to reconsider how the product fits into everyday meals, moving beyond its traditional association with breakfast.

Campaign uses emotion to drive engagement

Testing through System1’s Test Your Ad Outdoor platform indicates that 8 percent of viewers reported feelings of disgust, exceeding the category average. However, 27 percent expressed happiness, suggesting the campaign successfully balances contrasting emotional reactions.

This approach reflects Marmite’s long-standing positioning as a brand that divides opinion. By placing the product at the centre of recognisable dishes, the campaign reinforces brand identity while introducing new usage occasions.

Expanding Marmite’s role in everyday meals

The campaign builds on Marmite’s established tone of humour and provocation, while shifting perception towards versatility in cooking. The juxtaposition of familiar meals with an unexpected ingredient invites consumers to reassess how they might use the product.

System1’s broader research highlights the role of emotional storytelling in effective advertising. Its report, The Cure for Dull, points to humour as a key driver of positive engagement and commercial impact, particularly in cluttered media environments.

Balancing positive and negative reactions

Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer, Advertising, System 1: "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."

The findings underline how Marmite continues to use emotional contrast as a strategic tool, combining humour with provocation to maintain relevance and encourage experimentation among consumers.

www.system1group.com

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