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www.hornallanderson.com/casestudy/thinking-outside-the-jar

Marmite

Thinking outside the jar

Love it or hate it?

There's not a lot of middle ground when it comes to Unilever's much-loved (at least in the UK) yeast spread. Marmite doesn't have consumers as much as it has passionate evangelists. Brand loyalty is unquestioned, awareness is widespread and penetration is at its peak. So, when Marmite approached us in 2001 we were excited about their deceptively simple ask, how can the brand grow?

More than Breakfast. More than a Spread.

In order to evolve Marmite from a single SKU product, we had to start by challenging brand perception. And that meant changing the way people had been consuming the product for more than a century.

Anytime. Anyplace. Anywhere.

The core of our idea was to make it easier for Marmite lovers to get the taste they were passionate about, more often. We developed a flexible design identity that allowed Marmite to grow into new product categories without losing its distinctive (and delightfully divisive) personality.

Turning the Brand on it's head.

Our initial brief was to create a squeeze-bottle version for the iconic brand. But that was only the beginning. Since then, we've gone on to develop and design a range of concepts that have given Marmite life well beyond the pot.

New Structure

The new squeezable form was easier and more practical to use

Limited Editions

A series of limited editions were designed to generate positive PR coverage and drive incremental sales.

Range Extension

Marmite extended into new markets with a range of brand extensions designed to tap into new usage occasions.

"Packaging is where the really important components of the brand come together. Our long-standing relationship with our designers has allowed us to be bold and ballsy and push traditional marketing limits."

—Tom Denyard, Marketing Manager, Marmite

Results:

Marmite evolved from a single SKU brand to a large and beloved line of products—including a sub-line of snack foods and an ever-evolving series of hotly anticipated limited editions.