This brand managed to “smuggle” jars of its popular product across the Atlantic. Here’s how!
I’m a fan of this strategy because it shows just how effective out-of-the-box campaigns can be. For today’s case study, I’ll be highlighting a guerrilla marketing campaign for a niche brand. Continue reading below! |
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This brand managed to “smuggle” jars of its popular product across the Atlantic. Here’s how! Marmite, a sticky, savory paste, is one of the most popular spreads enjoyed by the British people. While Brits find this savory spread tasty, reception towards it has been divisive outside of Britain. As a result, it’s not widely available in places like the U.S., which, coincidentally, houses nearly a million British expats. Based on 2024 estimates, there are over 700,000 Brits residing in the U.S.—a figure that has since ballooned to over a million in 2026. Since Marmite wasn’t widely available in markets outside of Britain, it had to come up with something to get the product in the hands of British expats…
So, what did the brand do? Together with its creative partner adam&eveDDB, Marmite devised a way to transport jars of its product across the Atlantic! How? By organizing a distribution network made up of Brits who were planning to go to New York! To pull this off, Marmite ran a recruitment campaign targeting its most loyal fans through out-of-home ads, social media posts, and TV ads.
The ads encouraged onlookers to contact a Whatsapp number operated by Marmite’s team. Brits who qualified for the “Marmite Smugglers ” campaign were asked to bring a jar (or jars) of Marmite to the U.S. Upon arriving in New York, they were then instructed to hand over the jars of the beloved British spread to brand representatives. [Disclaimer: Despite the inclusion of “smugglers” in the name, no form of illegal smuggling occurred. As part of the participation guidelines , those who qualified were explicitly required to comply with airline, airport, and customs regulations.] To make the campaign more visible, a YouTube documentary was created to memorialize and advertise the guerrilla marketing campaign. Meanwhile, those who willingly participated in the campaign were given a special edition Marmite jar. So, was all that effort with it? Yes! Marmite received over 500 applications 48 hours after launching the recruitment campaign. In all, over 1,200 applicants showed interest in the “Marmite Smugglers” stunt. The campaign generated over 5.6 million in earned reach and a 26% increase in brand interest among Americans. Also, the documentary that detailed how jars of Marmite were sent to the U.S. earned thousands of views across YouTube and TikTok. … and to add icing on the cake, the “Marmite Smugglers” campaign drew positive attention from awards-giving bodies like Clio Awards. Kudos to the entire campaign team! — Marmite may be an acquired taste, but this campaign definitely showed that it need not remain a niche favorite. By undertaking this quirky guerrilla marketing campaign, Marmite managed to hit two birds with one stone: Get Marmite into the hands of British expats and generate interest for the savory spread among Americans! Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one inclusive “fix” changed everything for this furniture brand? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
