Advertising: Introduction to advertising

 Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Introduction to advertising blog tasks'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54  (p62). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. You may also want to re-watch the Marmite Gene Project advert above.

Answer the following questions on your blog:

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

The advert clearly creates contrast between people who hate and the people who love marmite.This is binary opposition and allows the audience to place themselves on a side. You could also apply propps character theory and present the marmite as the villain as it tears the families apart.

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

It has an emotional appeal, its advert is different from others as it acknowledges that people hate it, since it places the audience on two sides (lovers and haters) it makes the people who love it feel unique and different which may appeal to their lifestyles or their image of themselves, repetition and has a recognisable slogan.

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?

products. Marmite’s 2003 ad featuring Zippy from the children’s television programme Rainbow In 2007 an 18-month, £3m campaign featured the 1970s cartoon character Paddington Bear.

• creates nostalgia - emotional appeal
• well known characters - testimonial
• You could also say Bandwagon because so many people are buying marmite that even cartoon characters are trying it 

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

popular culture is widely consumed and accessible to all people whereas high fashion is more refined and aimed at the elite and those who have access to wealth. The two sides love and hate would appeal to a side each. The hate appeals to a more mainstream popular culture audience whereas the love appeals to a more niche high fashion audience making anyone who likes marmite feel special and elite.

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

Makes the audience feel special and unique so that them liking marmite can become part of their image and personality

Postmodern consumers are simultaneously aware that they are being exploited, yet also prepared to play the game – if it brings them a sense of superiority and social cache. 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?

The #Marmiteneglect campaign is rooted in the ‘reality’ that jars of Marmite often remain unused in the backs of cupboards (as identified by consumer data from market research). This ‘real-life concern’ is then positioned within a narrative of social neglect, and exploits the conventions of misery-memoirs.

A/A* extension task

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?

The subway commercial uses Todorov's equilibrium theory where the issue is the mans health because of his obesity and it is resolved when he loses 240 pounds, the advert clearly shows how healthy subway is and uses a real person so that people trust it more.

The album brat also promoted the album interestingly because the whole album is about being defiant and rebellious so the album cover itself shows that since it is unconventional and so simple. Since it is so simple it can be easily replicated and people can post about it very easily, the unconventional album cover also makes people talk about it. The album created a persona and an identity for the audience to adopt similarly to how marmite made liking it seem as a status symbol and reflect their sophistication. She used social media to create an image of herself that feels authentic that the audience can relate to