Things are about to get hot in here because Marks & Spencer has brought back its indulgent “food porn” adverts – with a twist.
The British retailer has released a new interpretation of its “This Is Not Just Food” advert, championing a range of M&S products including cauliflower cheese, salmon and trifle.
The campaign, dubbed #ThisIsNotJust, comes 15 years after the company introduced its tagline “This is Not Just Food... This is M&S Food” and released adverts featuring slow-motion close-ups of food. The adverts were last seen on television 12 years ago.
Announcing the news on Twitter with a video of the ad, the company tweeted: “#ThisIsNotJust food... This is delicious food that gets everyone around the table. For the whole family to enjoy. For ‘Can I have seconds?’.”
Instead of close-ups of food, the new advert sees M&S customers being distracted from their daily lives and unable to resist describing the brand’s food in a sultry voice, mimicking the voiceovers of previous adverts.
The new advert, by creative company Grey London, begins with a Transport for London announcer reading out timetable information before gazing at an advert of M&S Scottish salmon and describing it over the tannoy as “perfectly pan-seared”, much to the bemusement of commuters.
Later, a salesman delivers a romantic monologue about a fruity compote coated in “tonnes of vanilla custard”, before another M&S customer lusts over a Detroit-style pizza, describing it as having “smoky sausage and pulled pork bits”.
A spokesperson for the brand said: “With an injection of fun and humour, M&S will be stepping into the lives of customers in the key moment they’re daydreaming about delicious M&S food.
“From Scottish smoked salmon to brand-new Our Best Ever Trifle, this 60-second ad promises to provide great-value mealtime inspiration for the nation’s families.”
Introduced in 2004, the well-loved “This is not just” line resulted in sales of the M&S Melting Middle Chocolate Pudding soaring by 3,500 per cent after it appeared in one of its adverts.
Following the post, Twitter users praised M&S. “We’ve missed this. Glad it’s back,” tweeted one user.
Another added: “12 years on and still as iconic and delicious as ever!! Love this!! 👍👍 #thisisnotjust”
“Your best yet, love it,” another wrote.
The brand teased the tagline’s return on Tuesday on Twitter with a clip of the advert featuring the chocolate pudding.
“We have something delicious and oh-so-exciting to share!” the company wrote on social media.
“But you’re going to have to wait one more day. For now, check out this nostalgic throwback of M&S Food – see you tomorrow!”
