'Are annoying ads really bad – would you go compare with GoCompare?' blog discussion

wizk1 · 13 February 2010 at 1:53AM

I'm not really fussed about what a company's ad campaign is like when deciding to buy a product. I'm hardly going to pay £140 for a product from one company, rather than £100 from a company with an annoying ad.

relhuk · 13 February 2010 at 4:29PM

Fortunately for me - Im not drawn in by clever marketing - I likes what I likes - even if the latest greatest thing in the shops. I suppose im a stick in the mud! That said, if it looks a good product, then Ill have a look at it and decide for myself whether to try it or not.
As for annoying adds then thats exactly what they are trying to do -get under your skin and into your head its called product awareness.
Go compare is a mildy amusing ad with a catchy jingle. The ad itself is not annoying but rathere the repetetiveness of it. Lawyer adverts too!! no blame no claim etc etc.
There is one ad that riles me though -The current T- mobile advert with "students" in an ad hoc band but the annoying part is the girl on the phone will not stop blinking??? Is she peeling onions that we cannot see? why blink so much? arrgghhh!!!!!!

pmarkc · 14 February 2010 at 11:28AM

All the commercial ads are bad enough. The ones I really object to are "Public Service Announcements" "Did you leave the lap top on view in the car?" etc etc
Not only are the ads totally annoying but I'm paying for them!!!

petrolhead69 · 14 February 2010 at 11:44AM

sky+ is a wonderful thing. I hate watching live stuff now because of the ads, but that gocompare ad is the reason i mute the tv as soon as the adverts come on now. otoh if it wasn`t for crap ads we wouldn`t have gems like the hardcore esure/cillit bang remixes

mollyjo60 · 14 February 2010 at 4:37PM

will i live long enough to see the end of the dfs sale

JDPower · 14 February 2010 at 7:18PM

Martin, you say the fact you remember the ad, and hopefully their name, means that the campaign is successful. And partly that is true, but its also subconsciously connecting a feeling of dislike and irritation with that name. So if it's successful you will remember the name but every time you see that same name elsewhere those feelings are gonna be there, whether consciously or not, making you think negatively before you even go any further.

Whereas with Compare the meerkat, if I see their name elsewhere or visit their site I link it with the advert that makes me smile immediately putting me in a positive frame of mind towards the company. THAT is a successful campaign.

KTM_Gordo · 15 February 2010 at 11:20AM

The secret comes in ignoring the advert and looking at the company and its products to see whether they're actually any good or not.

I know Martin is very keen on certain comparison sites, but I've nearly been caught out when looking for insurance - what seemed like a bargin was too good to be true.

The company at the top of the low price list had ignored the requirements I'd put in to the comparison site and was offering a very basic policy that would have been no use at all in the event of a claim.

Yes, the meerkat is clever, the opera singer is as unsubtle as is humanly possible and the people singing the praises of another site is of dubious sincerity - but we're all intelligent and can see through the gloss to what is actually on offer. Simples (oops!

)

minerva_windsong · 15 February 2010 at 12:13PM

The reason I like Meerkat is because when it started it was different, and it's been quite good at developing the story as it were, what with bringing in Sergei and giving the meerkats some background with the new ad. As opposed to Go Compare, which based on the amount of time between it and Meerkat smacked of a cash-in and hasn't evolved at all, if anything it's got more ludicrous (who goes to finishing school these days?!). It's like the equivalent of watching a repeat of an episode of Only Fools And Horses - you know the chandelier/falling through the bar joke is coming, only it's never funny.

That said I do go on GoCompare (and Confused and CompareTheMarket for that matter) to make sure I'm getting the cheapest deal I can, but I'd have done that anyway, Gio Compario or no Gio Compario.

austin · 15 February 2010 at 8:37PM

:mad: webuyanycar... DOTCOM:mad:

:mad: "JOSH?!.... dad's found ya SCOOTA":mad:

:mad:"HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED?":mad:

CCStar · 16 February 2010 at 1:51AM

I would prefer to use companies that have funny or informative advertising but if I felt the product would be useful, I would use them but only as a last resort.

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'Are annoying ads really bad – would you go compare with GoCompare?' blog discussion

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