How One Ad Can Make an Agency and Change the Marketplace

VCCP is now renowned as the home of Alexander Orlov, the character from the Compare the Meerkat ads.

My understanding of the history of VCCP is a little muddled.  What is for certain is that it was founded in 2002.  Its parenthood is a little more obscure.  It is apparently a subsidiary of BGL Group, but also of holding company Chime Communications.

The Compare the Meerkat concept was supposedly the result of a drinking session at the pub.  I don't think anyone can be too surprised by that.

The campaign has had a revolutionary effect on Compare the Market.  The article I linked to above originally claimed that though the ad was very popular, it was not so successful.  A rise in traffic of 76%, while CTM's direct competitors suffered substantial losses spits in the face of such a claim.

The article also talks about the digital strategy of the campaign, and how it was built with the design of making a multi-faceted character that exists across different media.  Having struck on an idea that clearly engaged the public, VCCP drove the idea as hard as possible.  This is a great piece of reactive advertising - VCCP sensed that there was an opportunity and they grabbed it with both hands.

This fascinating article from the Guardian explains the impact that the ad had on the marketplace, likening it to Howard from Halifax.  Suddenly all major players in the marketplace realised they had to rethink their strategy and up their spending.  They had seen how Compare the Market had gone from an also ran to the 4th largest comparison site in the UK (that article is old, so perhaps CTM is even more successful now).

There's nothing particularly original or clever about Aleksandr Orlav (to take nothing away from the brilliant director who created him, Darren Walsh).  It's a joke on a terrible pun, with a meerkat based on Borat (with less controversial humour).  But it's a risky piece of advertising, right up there with the insanity and irreverence of Fallon's drumming gorilla.

VCCP is now recognised as a very exciting young agency, and it is now even featured on the Watford Tour.  More on Watford tomorrow.

Resisting the urge to fit in "Simples" somewhere, I will now sign off.  See you again tomorrow