August saw the Ashes rivalry between the Australian and English cricket teams, the longest running rivalry in international sport, cross over into the world of yeast extract spreads as Marmite went to bat against Aussie rival Vegemite over breakfast supremacy.
The titanic spread ‘spoof’ struggle started ahead of the Ashes when UK brand Marmite launched its #MarmyArmy campaign (a play on the England cricket fan group called the #BarmyArm) by handing out free jars of its iconic spread to cricket fans attending The Ashes first test at Edgbaston.
The campaign, developed with agency adam&eve and W Communications, targeted both England supporters and visting Aussie fans and the street team giveaway was also backed up with social content.
The ‘Marmy Army’ is a brand-new group formed of loyal and faithful Marmite fans. The newly established team will be outside the UK’s major cricket grounds, hoping to bowl over Aussies with the taste of Marmite and declare them lovers of Britain’s favourite savoury toast topper. pic.twitter.com/IZfqqxLjfx
— Marmite (@marmite) August 5, 2019
Then rival Aussie brand Vegemite teamed up with agency Thinkerbell (Melbourne) to respond to the Poms and take aim at Marmite with a tongue in cheek Australian newspaper ad campaign and supporting social media calling on Aussie cricketing influencers to rep their home nation spread.
Hi @ShaneWarne we can't believe what @marmite are up to at the cricket. Marmite does not #tastelikeaustralia but Vegemite certainly does. Please show your support. #Vegemite #Ashes #Ashes19 pic.twitter.com/yJjSLH8Di2
— Vegemite (@Vegemite) August 8, 2019
Hi @RealHughJackman we can't believe what @marmite are up to at the cricket. Marmite does not #tastelikeaustralia but Vegemite certainly does. Please show your support. #Vegemite #Ashes #Ashes19 pic.twitter.com/S1hhvOVTEq
— Vegemite (@Vegemite) August 8, 2019
As former Aussie skipper Steve Smith hit two centuries to help Australia to a first Test victory, Vegemite struck back with social responses
and by taking out a reply style ad in UK newspaper The Mirror which read:
“News has reached Down Under that free jars of Marmite are being handed out at The Ashes to prove it tastes better than our Vegemite. Are you guys barmy? Of course, the refined English palate will prefer yours. Vegemite tastes like back to back tons on your return Test. Vegemite tastes like a come from behind victory by 251 runs. Catch ya at Lord’s.”
The print ad was also amplified socially.
We wish @Marmite all the best but don’t expect Aussies to be bowled over by their antics at the cricket. So, we took action by running a full page ad in the @DailyMirror … Catch ya at Lord’s! #TastesLikeAustralia #Vegemite #Ashes pic.twitter.com/jMRJkEi63b
— Vegemite (@Vegemite) August 8, 2019
Vegemite also issued a press release to Australia explaining why Vegemite felt compelled to run the ad.
“Dear Australia,
Vegemite was forced into an unfamiliar position last night where we had to take out a full page ad in the UK newspaper, The Mirror. The ad we ran (please see attached) was in response to Marmite (a softer, gentler, more polite version of Vegemite) handing out free jars of Marmite at the cricket in an attempt to woo those attending.
The ad we felt compelled to run, explains why England’s beloved Marmite’s crusade is futile. You see Vegemite is made for Australia, we don’t expect the English to embrace our stronger, more resilient taste, and nor can we imagine many Australians going for a middle order substitute.
Matt Gray, Vegemite spokesperson in Australia said “It’s not often we get brought into such a large scale international conflict. However, we found Marmite’s behaviour to be a little untoward. It’s just not cricket to give away Marmite at the cricket. We just want to set the record straight that Australians will always prefer Vegemite as Vegemite actually tastes like Australia. The English are welcome to their mild Marmite, it probably suits their sensitive palates a little more.”
Vegemite was invented in Australia in 1923, made from the yeast extract from brewing beer – how Australian is that. Some would call it our national spread. We wish Marmite all the best, but don’t expect many Australians to be bowled over by its taste.
Vegemite is proud to Taste Like Australia, and promises to not mention Brexit in any press release. “
Marmite bit back with its own UK newspaper ads, in Saturday’s Daily Mirror, referencing to the sensitive topic of Aussie ball-tampering and including copy “Dear Vegemite, we might not taste like Australia, but love it or hate it, we won’t be tampering with it.”
This is England. This is cricket and we are the #MarmyArmy
You're toast @Vegemite pic.twitter.com/acUFjfY0cK— Marmite (@marmite) August 10, 2019
“Dear Vegemite. We might not taste like Australia, but love it or hate it, we won’t be tampering with it. See you at the Home of Cricket.”
Again, Vegemite responded with a second test, lord’s linked piece referencing the links between its brand colours and the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) egg and bacon ties and blazers.
Turns out the privileged members of Lord's have been wearing Vegemite colours all this time… #TastesLikeAustralia #SacredColours #Ashes #Ashes19 @marmite pic.twitter.com/QMJZ6LbIxv
— Vegemite (@Vegemite) August 14, 2019
The rival, tactical brand marketing banter continued when Marmite replied by handing out branded sandpaper ahead of the second Ashes Test at Lords which featuring England against Australia starts at Lords’ Cricket Ground in a light-hearted reference to ‘Sandpapergate’ (the scandal when the Australian team were caught on TV roughing up the side of the ball with sandpaper to gain an advantage in a match against South Africa in March 2018).
The copy on the sandpaper read: “We won’t be tampering with it’, the strapline promises. Cricket fans will either love it or hate it.”
That's gotta hurt… @marmite hands out sandpaper at The #Ashes2019…#ashes@ECB_cricket @Vegemite @englandcricket@cricketcomau @CricketAushttps://t.co/Hw4GBAgTu4
— Prolific London (@ProlificLondon) August 16, 2019
"Love it or hate it. We won’t be tampering with it" is the strapline featured on @marmite's branded sandpaper created by @aandeddb. https://t.co/2oZStpkgmv pic.twitter.com/8jWhAnn8de
— AdNews (@AdNews) August 19, 2019
Vegemite struck bad with a third test radio ad in England which aimed to remind cricket fans why Australia will win the Ashes.
Vegemite – Ashes Video from Thinkerbell on Vimeo.
“We are increasingly disturbed by Marmite’s insistence they won’t be tampering with their Marmite. If people love or hate it then surely they can do what we’ve done and find a taste that unites the country. We don’t want to mention Brexit or a parliament divided, but we think they are a manifestation of a country disjointed,” said Matt Gray, senior marketing manager, Vegemite.
“You see Vegemite unifies. Vegemite Tastes Like Australia and that’s why we all love it. And if we are all united around our taste for Vegemite well it just follows seamlessly that invariably we’ll win the ashes.”
With two more tests to go, the brand banter looks set to run and run.
Unilever brand Marmite’s team included Brand Experience Director Fik Woldegiorgis, Senior Brand Manager Rachel Chambers, Brand Manager Camilla Williamson and Assistant Brand Manager Anna Reid and they worked with an Adam & Eve agency team led by Co CEO Mat Goff, Business Director Tom White, Account Director Oliver Lester, Account Executive Emily Bristowe, Chief Strategy Officer Martin Beverly, Planning Director Will Grundy, Chief Creative Officer Richard Brim, Group Executive Creative Director Ben Tollett, Creative Directors Simon Vicars and Andre Sallowicz and Head of Design Paul Knowles.
W Comms ran the PR phase through Senior Account Director Nikki Guest and Senior Account Manager Jess O’Donohoe.
Comment:
What is it they say…..people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones?
This isn’t quite the spread equivalent to the viscous Colas Wars between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, or even the Super Bowl spat between Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors after Budweiser’s critical corn syrup Super Bowl spot.
It’s more like the friendly Air New Zealand/Qantas #AirWager social send up around the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final.
A rival airline and rival finalists sponsor Twitter challenge which ended when a Qanatas pilots and cabin crew donned All Blacks jerseys for a flight after New Zealand beat the Wallabies.
As to why anyone would care about which sticky, dark brown, bitter food paste they prefer is about as much as a mystery as us as cricket is to Americans.
Links:
Marmite
https://www.facebook.com/Marmite/
https://www.instagram.com/marmite/
https://www.youtube.com/MarmiteOfficial
adam&eve
W Communications
https://www.wcommunications.co.uk/
Vegemite
https://www.instagram.com/vegemite/
https://www.facebook.com/VEGEMITE/
Thinkerbell, Melbourne
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