Will the meerkats ever be used in marketing again?

[CormoranStrike]

Very, VERY, minor point against the horror of the war in Ukraine, but I reckon the marketing team at Compare the Market will be desperately searching for an entire new campaign, won’t they?

Surely any continued use would be toxic to their brand? Or will people see them simply as made up characters, so not care?

I never liked the characters anyway, but if I was their comms boss I would be ditching the meerkats forever.

will people see them simply as made up characters, so not care?

Yes.

I like the Meerkats.

It would be a shame if we tar all Russians/ Russian sounding accents with one brush ( Putin).
The Russians staging the protest are an absolute inspiration.
Let's think of them when we hear the meerkats

@ClariceQuiff

will people see them simply as made up characters, so not care?

Yes.

You could be right - but I bet they have paused all advertising featuring them for now.

@spotcheck

I like the Meerkats.

It would be a shame if we tar all Russians/ Russian sounding accents with one brush ( Putin).
The Russians staging the protest are an absolute inspiration.
Let's think of them when we hear the meerkats

That’s a really good point.

Ridiculous - aside from the fact that they are invented characters do you actually think that everyone / everything associated with Russia should be shunned , have you not seen the protests in Russia . Many Russians are as unhappy about the invasion as the rest of us .

This is going round my socials

I think it's been made really clear that many many Russians are appalled by what is happening, it's "not in their name". So yes I hope the Meerkats carry on.

The meercats represent putin and his government?

I hope they don't get rid of them. A fake at that Russian accent should not be equal evil.

I feel really sorry for all the Russians around the world that are expected to mea culpa and apologise for something that is nothing to do with them. Did we say sorry around the world for Iraq? Or Afghanistan? Or any of those many other countries we invaded?

Russian people aren't evil you no (asides from the obvious few). No reason why meerkats shouldn’t carry on.

I've never understood why a meerkat would have a Russian accent anyway.

Assuming they could talk

I thought for a moment actual meerkats had been involved in some atrocity in the conflict.

But you just mean the accent? This isn’t 1914. I think we’re a sophisticated enough society by now not to turn on anyone and anything with an Eastern accent.

I don’t think anyone is blaming the compare the market meerkats for Putins decision to invade

This isn’t WW2 where anyone with the wrong accent is seen as an alien spy. I’m sure the meerkats will be just fine

Those meercats are Oligarchs.

I know they are not real Russsians, and I by no means blame all Russians for Putin, but in a strict marketing sense it is not an accent or lifestyle (oligarch) that I would be pushing.

@CormoranStrike

I know they are not real Russsians, and I by no means blame all Russians for Putin, but in a strict marketing sense it is not an accent or lifestyle (oligarch) that I would be pushing.

Oligarch? Really?

He doesn’t seem very “new money” to me. Hr wears velvet smoking jackets and lives in an old mansion. Plus, he’s - y’know - a meerkat.

I know they are not real Russsians,
Phew!

@User405

I know they are not real Russsians, Phew!