Introduction To Advertising

 Introduction to advertising: blog tasks

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.

They use narrative by implementing a binary opposition between those who love and hate marmite.

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

They persuade you to but their product as you want to find out if you love it or hate it. 

3) Focusing specifically on the Media Magazine article, what does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

Advertising's aims are to make us dissatisfied with our current selves and lives so they promote the idea that we can buy our way to a better life with their product.


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?

Zippy, a character from a kids television programme is features. In 2007 an 18-month, £3m campaign featured the 1970s cartoon character Paddington.

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

Popular culture is consumed and accessible to all people but 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

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

Mr. Marmite. Love him or hate him; you can’t ignore him’. Since the 1990s, 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. Ultimately, the evidence for the success of these postmodern ads remain the sales of the products.