Marmite donates £18,000 to RSPCA following complaints
Following the 278 complaints that have been made to the ASA about Marmite’s latest TV ad, which shows tubs of Marmite being taken out of homes of people who have ‘neglected’ it, the company is set to make a donation to the RSPCA.
Matt Cull, RSPCA fundraising manager, said: "Love the advert or hate it - we are thrilled to announce that Marmite have put their money where their mouth is and are spreading the love for animal welfare by making a donation to the RSPCA.
"Marmite have offered us £18,000 - which is how much it costs to run our inspectorate service for one day. This will make a massive difference to the animals and we are very grateful for their generosity."
Speaking to The Drum earlier, a spokesperson for Marmite said: “It is never our intention to cause offence. This is the first time Marmite has been on television for two years and we have made every effort to ensure that this commercial entertains anyone who watches it. It ranked highly throughout our rigorous testing process and with clear branding from the outset, as well as the comedic tone, we believe we have created an unmistakably Marmite ad – people will either love it or hate it and they certainly won’t forget it. We hope that everyone will watch and enjoy this commercial in the light-hearted way it was intended.”
The ad could still be banned by the ASA; if the authority deems that the ad has caused offence.