M&S's ‘This is not just’ advert returns after 12 years and Twitter is drooling

This is not just any advert, this is an M&S advert

Katie O'Malley
Wednesday 03 April 2019 17:48 BST
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M&S's 'This is not just' advert returns after 12 years

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.

M&S posts nostalgic throwback of past adverts

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!”

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