Marmite Spreads It On Thick and Sexy With Puppets

Puppets advertising Marmite in a suggestive campaign? Stop the presses!

A :60 from Adam&eveDDB and director Guy Shelmerdine invites folks to "stroke that," "push that" and "lick that," with such phrases rumbling through the techno soundtrack by Giraffage, 

Of course, it's all about spreading the salty-yeasty paste on toast. The puppets in question aren't anatomically correct. We hope.

They're "First Timers," we're told, and the spot ends with the line "Love it. Hate it. Get it on."

"We pride ourselves on sparking debate and strong opinions and most consumers are either lovers or haters," says brand manager Laura Iliffe. "However, when we saw the number of young adults who had never even tried it—we knew we had to do something to dare them to take the plunge and try our special spread."

Marmite's been a deft marketer in recent years, but Iliffe believes this new work "represents a step-change in the way we advertise—with a clear focus on driving trial. We want to recruit our next generation of lovers, and show young adults how to approach their first-time with Marmite."

So, did things really heat up during the shoot? 

"We saw a few things on the set we won't forget in a hurry," adam&eveDDB creative director Colin Booth tells Muse. "There were extreme positions, such as two puppeteers under a hollowed-out sofa with their arms sticking out at an awkward angle, trying to nod to the beat of the music."

The saucy vibe extends to a TikTok challenge with a quiz about "sticky situations," asking folks to "love" or "hate" behaviors in potential partners.

Plus, a W Communications-led PR push will invite college students to "pop their Marmite cherry." No details yet. But it sure sounds classy.