Introduction to advertising

1) How does the Marmite Gene Project advert use narrative? Apply some narrative theories here.

Marmite uses Propp's theory of the character spheres through its representation of marmite as a damsel in distress (2013) that needs to be saved by the heroes who are the marmite rescue team from the neglect of the consumers who are the villains. Also Todorov's equilibrium can be applied where by it starts out in disequilibrium due to needing to save the marmite, and re-equilibrium is established once it is saved. Moreover Levi-Strauss' theory of binary oppositions is shown through the 'you love it' or 'you hate it' slogan to push the identity of the brand. 

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

Emotional appeal to the saving of marmite, Slogan of 'hate it' or love it'.

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’

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

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, Paddington Bear is shown trading his well-known marmalade sandwiches for Marmite sandwiches. He is shown enjoying the taste, while others are repelled by it. I think that this links to the idea of using celebrity endorsement and association while continuing with its slogan of 'you love it' or 'you hate it'.

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

Popular culture is everything to do with regular society and how the average person consumes while high culture is to do with the much more high brow aristocratic feelings and mannerisms and marmite plays on this by 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’ 

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

Postmodern audiences arguably understand that they are being manipulated by marketing. 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 Postmodern consumers get the joke and, in doing so, they themselves may become promotional agents of the product through word-of mouth.

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

Postmodern advertising, like the postmodern humour of programmes like Life Is Short, may transgress boundaries of taste in order to make audiences question notions of what is real and of value in society and so in the advertisements this is shown through the #Marmite neglect, Marmite’s 2003 ad featuring Zippy from the children’s television programme Rainbow, Unilever’s campaigns admit that not everyone will want to buy their product. Companies normally try to maximise their potential consumer-audiences, so to admit that this is a targeted niche product might seem to be against conventional advertising wisdom.

Read the marketing blog linked above on narrative in advertising. Which campaigns are particularly impressive in your opinion? How do they use narrative to connect with their audience?

I think that the Sainsburys, Subway, UPS and Airbnb were particularly impressive as they all link directly to aspects of cultural and societal influences such as Sainsburys commemorating the Christmas truce of 1914 definitely created an emotional appeal to audiences due to the general reasoning behind the event instilling a sense of not only reconciliation but also kindness for one another while subway can be cultural significant due to the 'obesity pandemic' that has recently plagued the world due to fast foods but this success story again appeals to the emotions of the audience to believe that they can change and associate will associate it subconsciously with subway. As with the other two, UPS and Airbnb also play on the emotions of the audience as it sticks with us due to the themes presented within these adverts and I personally believe its quite impressive how these campaigns can monopolise on really emotionally appealing content to push their agenda for further consumerism.