Advertising: Persuasive techniques

Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Persuasive techniques'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54  (p62). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here.

Answer the following questions on your blog:

1) What does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

"all publicity works on anxiety." This relates to the concept that advertising is trying to create the feeling of a failer, and the lack of fullfilment with our present life to make people  more willing to buy their product

2) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

It makes it look like the brands can give people a more glamorous or idealistic personal image, encouraging people to go out and buy these brands to have the  lifestyle portrayed by the braands. 

3) How was Marmite discovered?


German scientists discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. The campaign was "use Marmite in your ration packs"

4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?

 Marmite is owned by Unilever, and it is a subsidiary under Bovril.

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

A good example is when it was used in combination with the bear series Paddington. The adverts demonstrate the protagonist of the 1970s trading for Marmite sandwiches his classic marmalade sandwiches. It makes it more enjoyable for the audience.

6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?

High culture has to do with the cultural significance of specific products, while popular culture also has to do with the same thing, but it's not a select audience but for the masses.

7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?


It's made to simply please the audience. By placing the public as "enlightened, superior, knowledgeable insiders," Marmite gives the audience the sense of importance and control they like.

8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

It exploits the conventions of "misery-memoirs" and "social neglect" and in the advert it shows how upset people are that someone doesn't like the product.