Marmite has called on loyal fans in the UK to spread the love in its new cross-border campaign created by adam&eveDDB London and New York. The Unilever brand is going to extreme lengths to get jars of the sticky breakfast spread into the US for desperate British expats hankering for their Marmite fix.
Surveys regularly show that Marmite is one of the most missed products by expats, and right now, over 700,000 Brits living in the US have little or no access to Marmite. So, for this new campaign, “Smugglers”, Marmite is recruiting daring volunteers in the UK to sneak the spread into the US in a trans-Atlantic show of support for expats.
In a recruitment campaign that has been running across OOH, social, radio, and TV, Marmite is inviting people flying from London to New York to become Marmite Smugglers, by contacting the brand via WhatsApp. Phone kiosks and poster sites have been plastered with the recruitment messages, and in radio, a distorted voice call for Marmite lovers to smuggle the spread to the thousands of expats who need a fix.
The recruitment film, a 90″ expose style film, was directed by Henry-Alex Rubin through SMUGGLER. It reveals the extent of this Marmite drought in New York, and documents the lengths that real Marmite Smugglers are going to, to spread the supply across borders.
Willing smugglers have been hauling jars of Marmite on their flights to New York, and are instructed to hand over the goods upon their arrival, state-side. As a thank you for their selfless act, each smuggler has received a special edition ‘Smuggler’ jar of Marmite.
Across the pond, Marmite has also been spreading the word of the new supply with guerilla comms and tactical stunts pointing New York expats to a secret pick-up location.
Within the first 48 hours, Marmite received over 500 applicants willing to help spread the Marmite love.
Find out more on adam&eveDDB.