Compare the Meerkat
Aleksandr Orlov, an anthropomorphic Russian meerkat featured in the adverts | |
| Agency | VCCP |
|---|---|
| Client | Compare the Market |
| Product |
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| Release dates | 5 January 2009 (UK) 1 February 2013 (Australia) – present |
Compare the Meerkat is an advertising campaign on British and Australian commercial television for Compare the Market, a price comparison website, part of the BGL Group. The adverts feature Aleksandr Orlov, an animated anthropomorphic Russian meerkat (voiced by Simon Greenall), and his family and friends. Orlov is portrayed as being of aristocratic stock and the founder of "comparethemeerkat.com": the campaign originally centred on his frustration over the confusion between his website and comparethemarket.com, playing on the similarity between the words market and meerkat. Orlov's catchphrase is "simples".
The campaign, launched on 5 January 2009, was created by advertising agency VCCP. The adverts proved popular and became a commercial success for comparethemarket.com, which became the fourth most visited insurance website in the UK as a result. A book featuring Orlov titled A Simples Life was published in 2010 and other merchandise was created in tandem with the campaign.