Marmite Amnesty

When we heard that Marmite was the most confiscated branded food item at London City airport the team at W spotted a massive news opportunity and acted quickly to make the most of it.

We approached LCY and the very next day staged a ‘Marmite amnesty’ photo shoot in partnership with the LCY security team: providing 70g travel-sized pots in exchange for the oversized ‘contraband’ varieties.

The simplicity of the idea tapped into the ongoing conversation and W’s media strategy around Brits’ enduring passion for Marmite, even as a holiday essential along with staples such as sunscreen. The activity secured 94 pieces of coverage, with 21 pieces of national print and online including The Sun, The Guardian, Metro, The Times, Shortlist, BBC Newsbeat and a feature on Sky News.

Most importantly, Marmite reported a 34% increase in sales of the 70g pot in the four weeks following the Marmite amnesty activation.