Marmite has landed in hot water with advertising watchdogs over a commercial showing a huge blob chasing people down the street, after parents complained it left their kids suffering from nightmares.
Manufacturer Unilever UK Foods said it was disappointed by a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority against the ad, which was inspired by the 1950s sci-fi film The Blob, and was clearly meant to be “over-the-top and comical.” The company spent £1.5m on two ads, which show crowds either running terrified or towards a shapeless blob of the spread. The final frames show a
woman, half submerged in the blob and the other shows a man with a cheese sandwich diving into it. Six viewers complained the ads were broadcast around children’s programmes and their kids, aged two and three, had been left terrified.
The BACC, which cleared the ads, said the blob was not shown attacking people and was not scary because it did not have human attributes. The ASA said the ads should have an ex-kids scheduling restriction.
Manufacturer Unilever UK Foods said it was disappointed by a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority against the ad, which was inspired by the 1950s sci-fi film The Blob, and was clearly meant to be “over-the-top and comical.” The company spent £1.5m on two ads, which show crowds either running terrified or towards a shapeless blob of the spread. The final frames show a
woman, half submerged in the blob and the other shows a man with a cheese sandwich diving into it. Six viewers complained the ads were broadcast around children’s programmes and their kids, aged two and three, had been left terrified.
The BACC, which cleared the ads, said the blob was not shown attacking people and was not scary because it did not have human attributes. The ASA said the ads should have an ex-kids scheduling restriction.
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