Advertising-Do you need to be annoying to increase awareness?
I’m not against those price comparison websites, I actually think they can be a bit useful, though I’m a MoneySavingExpert.com person myself.
However one site that I definitely will not be using is GoCompare. I absolutely hate those adverts. I remember their previous adverts, with the slogan “Why GoCompare anywhere else?” It wasn’t the best advert, but it had a nice, clean professional look to it. But in August 2009, they killed it!
Two mates were in a cafe, having a coffee, when all of a sudden, “GO COMPARE, GO COMPARES,”I mean, who want’s to go compare if this guy is going to pop out and annoy you with his horrible singing voice. And the adverts increased, a group of ladies who plan to get new quotes for their cars, a couple with an expensive sports car, and these adverts seem to crop up during every ad break, with “Gio Compario”, a guy who has now topped the list of guys I’d love to punch in the face.
However it looks like I’m not the only person who cringes every time “Gio Compario”pops up in the screen. According to marketingmagazine.co.uk, a poll taken for the most irritating advert of 2009, GoCompare, was voted the worst advert by 56% of voters, a lot considering there were 22 different entrants. Joint second came Cash4Gold, and Glade Touch and Fresh (remember “Mum, I need a poo!”).
Despite being a truly rubbish and hated advert, it seems that it has achieved its purpose. GoCompare have reported a 200% increase in the awareness of its brand. Does an advert have to be annoying to do the job ad of increasing awareness? Clearly the advertising agency In-house thinks so, as their agency has popped up three times on the poll, and the adverts for Confused.com and Webuyanycar.com, who were also commissioned by In-house, also were pretty annoying coming at 5th and 7th for the most annoying advert.
But I don’t think an advert has to be annoying to serve its purpose. In fact, the advert that currently is the best in my book is also loved by others, as it holds a place on the line-up for The Best Adverts Of 2009 on Asylum.co.uk, also a car insurance advert, “Compare the Meerkat.” Aleksandr Orlov, is funny, cute and popular, loved by many, yet they can increase brand awareness without some cringe worthy tosh unlike another company.
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