Marmite Squeezy Painting – Love it or hate it

Marmite Squeezy, the relatively new product released by Unilver UK Foods, was promoted in the UK with posters using the “Love It Or Hate It” theme. Posters and billboards feature images of people and scenarios that divide opinion in the British public: George Bush, Mr Bean, France, bull fighting, socks and sandals, mullets, hairy chests, Crazy Frog, buskers, Landrovers, Jose Mourinho. The poster campaign was accompanied by an online competition, Marmart, in which Marmite lovers uploaded their toast art for popular acclaim or rejection.

The British sports utility vehicle Landrover is loved for its rugged capacity but hated for its gas guzzling features. See the Greenpeace TV ad, Gas Guzzler.

Bull fighting – you either love it or hate it.

The English either love or hate France.

Mr Bean, the Rowan Atkinson character, starred in a comical television series in the early 1990s, a movie (1997) and is now an animated television series. He’s either a delight or an embarrassment.

George W Bush – the ultimate polarizer perhaps.

The Crazy Frog, originally known as The Annoying Thing, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist.

José Mourinho is the Portugese-born coach for Chelsea Football Club.

The mullet – sign of fashion once.

The hairy chest – the sign of good taste back in the 1970s.

Socks and sandals – the combination loved by certain nerds.

And for travellers in the London tube, the busker.

Credits

The Marmite Squeezy Painting poster concept was developed at DDB UK, London, by creative director Jeremy Craigen, art director Damien Bellon, copywriter Thierry Albert and account supervisors Tamsin Northridge and Jonathan Trimble.

The artwork, done with dripped Marmite, was produced by illustrator Dermot Flynn at Dutch Unkle, London, and photographed by Andy Rudak.

The Marmite Squeezy art campaign won a Silver Lion at Cannes International Advertising Festival 2006, a prize at Epica 2006, a Gold at Eurobest 2006, and a Grand Crystal at Festival de la Publicité de Méribel 2006.