... The Meerkats. At Last.

I’ve avoided talking about meerkats so far, but they seem to be everywhere I look at the moment; probably no thanks to the fact my mother has ‘befriended’ Aleksandr, the main meerkat from the ‘compare the market’ ads, on Facebook. Therefore Facebook finds it essential to keep recommending that I become ‘friends’ with him too; I can’t escape!


So unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ll know that the ‘compare the market’ ads have become somewhat of a phenomenon. And online this phenomenon continues, with Aleksandr the meerkat having his own profile/fan page, with almost 600,000 friends!


‘Compare the market’ decided to therefore launch their new ad exclusively on Facebook this morning, featuring meerkats in a Jacuzzi. (TV launch due on Sunday.)


I don’t mind the ads really; I find them very clever, and a smart marketing ploy in an area where so many comparison sites are competing for visitors. The slogan ‘simples’ even entered into the AdSlogans Hall of Fame for 2008/2009.


There’s just something that irritates me about the ads that I cant put my finger on though. Not sure if it’s the worry that my generation of TV ads will be defined by a foreign meerkat, (becoming the new sugarpuff monster or smash alien)….. or if I just find it annoying that my mates feel the need to say things along the line of ‘oooh look suzy, this is what constitutes good advertising’ whenever it comes on the TV.


Either way, I think VCCP have done a pretty good job at differentiating the ‘compare the market’ site for consumers, and when you see the bloody annoying ads for ‘go compare,’ it makes you realize much more how clever a meerkat is at encouraging people to visit a website instead of a fatty repelling your target audience. Silly, silly, silly.

(For really interesting background info on the ‘compare the market’ ads check out the APG creative strategy awards report here)