Marmite, the divisive savory food spread based on yeast extract, is known for being a product that people either love or hate and the brand created a "smuggling ring" and limited-edition Smuggler Marmite jars to help passionate people in the UK to introduce the product to the United States market.
With posters plastered across London, Marmite recruited more than 500 volunteers to transport jars of Marmite to New York, and 87 jars of Marmite made the trip with six successful missions. Since TSA only allows travelers to carry liquids in 3.4-ounce containers or smaller, Marmite's travel-sized jars worked perfectly—and legally—for the stunt.
Daring participants received one of the exclusive Smuggler Marmite jars for their efforts and Chris Brailey, associate creative director at adam&eveDDB told Ad Age, “So far no one's been arrested.”
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Cross-border Condiment Campaigns
- Leveraging passion for unique food products to create engaging cross-market promotional strategies.
- Limited-edition Product Launches
- Utilizing exclusivity and scarcity to drive consumer excitement and participation in brand experiences.
- Creative Brand Collaborations
- Fostering partnerships that blur boundaries between brands and consumer communities for innovative marketing activations.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Food & Beverage
- Exploring unconventional methods to introduce and distribute products across global markets.
- Marketing & Advertising
- Crafting unique and memorable brand campaigns that challenge traditional advertising norms and engage consumers in novel ways.
- Travel & Tourism
- Incorporating product experiences into travel adventures to create memorable and authentic connections with consumers.
