Go Compare and Compare the Market. I know which one I’d prefer knocking on my door
Go Compare is launching its 2nd TV campaign featuring their opera singer ‘Gio Compare’ and according to Technology Weekly, the first round of ads raised brand awareness by 450%. Not bad for an advertising campaign that has annoyed more people in the UK than England’s World Cup performance (OK, slight exaggeration).
This got me thinking about advertising that makes people wince; stuff that’s so bad, you just can’t help singing along and wandering along zombie-like into the high street to buy one. Remember ‘Shake ‘n Vac’. My guess is that 99% of you can still sing the jingle.
A poll on www.mirror.co.uk lists the ads that “make you want to put your foot through the telly”, and no surprise, Go Compare comes top. Interestingly, out of the top ten, there is one other insurance comparison site, Confused.com and two insurance companies, Churchill and Swift Cover. Personally the Swift Cover ads featuring Iggy Pop don’t make me angry, they just make me wonder whether I’m actually asleep and having a bad dream.
Back to GoCompare. OK, brand awareness is up, but do we have to offend people to get noticed? I don’t want people just to remember a brand, I want them to remember it fondly. Go Compare’s number one competitor, ComparetheMarket.com is completely bonkers and everyone has fallen in love with Aleksandr the meerkat. This campaign is witty, it’s memorable and it gives you a nice warm feeling about the brand. Everything that decent advertising should be – simples (sorry, couldn’t resist)! And if you haven’t already seen it, check out comparethemeerkat.com, it almost makes me like insurance companies. Enjoy.
The first thing that ran through my head was “Autoglass repair, Autoglass replace”. Not only is it a terrible advert is has THE most annoying ditty to go with it, but the worse bit is, i remember it. Emotion is such a powerful response that i don’t think it matters whether it annoys or enjoys we will remember it. It’s the dull adverts that don’t hit a nerve or a hot spot that we forget.
I am with you and that i much prefer a unique approach that has people talking positively that an annoying advert that you turn over every time it comes on!
Posted on: July 8, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Good point Bonnita. Perhaps advertisers just need to make sure that the annoyance factor isn’t so strong that we end up hating the brand. A perfect example for me would be Cillit Bang. I remember it, boy do I remember it, but I wouldn’t buy it for all the bleach in Asda. Whereas I would give Mr Sheen (”shines umpteen things clean”) space in my cupboard any day. ‘He’ was equally as annoying as Barry Scott, but I actually quite liked Mr Sheen. At least he didn’t shout at me like an evangelistic salesman with a broken volume control button.
Anybody else think of annoying ads that sell? Don’t be shy tweet it to @remedycreative, or post your comment here.
Posted on: July 9, 2010 at 12:38 pm
I like classical music, but, like ‘Go Compare’, cannot stand the Lloyds TSB advert with some mad woman singing in the back ground in an operatic manner. My children call me into the room insisting that my favourite advert is on! I don’t mind the graphics - its just that irritating singing! Which I have to stop myself from warbling out loud. Although, I am sure that a lot of people will remember the ‘Just one Cornetto’ campaign, which, funnily enough, did not annoy me. Probably because the add was so humorous. Every time I purchase a Cornetto ice cream the words from the ad run through my head and not ‘O Sole mio’. They should re-run the Cornetto ads.
Posted on: July 28, 2010 at 9:39 pm