adam&eveDDB Recruit Marmite Smugglers to Spread the Love Stateside

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 90” expose style film 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.

Laura Iliffe, brand manager at Marmite, said, “Imagine living in a country where you don’t have access to Marmite. By spreading the love and becoming smugglers, Marmite lovers have done a truly heroic deed for British expats.”

Lena Portchmouth, marketing manager at Marmite, said, “Marmite-lovers share a bond and a sense of adventure, and they will go to great lengths for each other, in order to keep supplies flowing. I’m sure the limited number of ‘Smuggler’ jars will be seen as a badge of honour within the Marmite community.”

Richard Brim, chief creative officer at adam&eveDDB, said, The one thing Sting failed to mention whilst being an Englishman in New York was the distinct lack of Marmite. It's real. So by enlisting willing Brits to smuggle jars of the spread through customs, we’re continuing to spread the love to our compatriots across the pond.”