I have a confession to make. I have a small obsession with Alexandr Orlov. For those of you who don't know who that is. He is meerkat, the now infamous star of Compare the Meerkat, a spoof company devised as a cunning plan to drive awareness of the previously-not-so-interesting Compare the Market.com, a price comparison site.
Of course, the now infamous meerkat is not the first fluffy being to woo an audience. Back in the 1980's Gordon the Gopher drummed up a huge following on BBC1. Then there was Flat Eric of Levi fame. And lest we forget the wonderful PG Tips Monkey, who I hear is going to be making a comeback soon.
So what is it about furry animals in advertising? Well, it probably has a lot to do with our national obession with pets, but much more to do with some very clever, humourous storytelling.
Unlike the fame enjoyed by his pre-decessors, there is one big difference with Alexsandr's story. He was born into a world gleaming with shiny social media tools, a networking culture where news spreads at lightning speed, and in a climate where, quite frankly, we all really need a good laugh...and often.
A rudimentary tally on followers finds that Alexandr now has: 483,265 Facebook fans and 20,409 on Twitter. As I write this Alexsandr is being primed for a photo shoot with Hello magazine, whilst aficionados are petitioning for cuddly toys to be made available. I think we can safely say Aleksandr is a cult celebrity now.
Social status aside, this is one of the most enjoyable pieces of advertising I've seen in a while. Reasons why:
- It makes me laugh and smile everytime.
- I want more: There was some great build-up for Alexsandr's latest commercial, but after 30 seconds, I couldn't help but be let down. Too short, I would have watched 10 minutes online.
- I like telling others about it: Some things are good enough to share and for me, this is one.
- I can be part of it: one of the best features is conversing with this crazy chap. Had the technology been around in the 80s Gordon would certainly have been my best virtual friend.
All in all, the Meerkat story is a wonderful example of how advertising doesn't feel like it's trying so hard. It doesn't interrupt, just simply entertains without leaving a bad taste in the form of a hard sell. I'm left with incredible respect for those involved and for the brand. Respect for not making me watch a boring ad and giving me something to smile about. Simples...
