What is advertising’s true purpose? One could say that generating sales for a given product or service would be its be-all and end-all, however this would seem awfully reductionist to many in the industry.
A good advert or advertising campaign will almost always enable a brand to build a genuine rapport or connection with an individual or group.
Catchy jingles and repetition have almost always been at the very heart of advertising, but sometimes brands can overstep the mark – leaving viewers feeling irritated or disinterested.
However, what many may perceive as annoying – others may consider a stroke of genius – see GoCompare’s faux opera singer and Compare the Market’s ever-growing cast of CGI meerkats: both campaigns are widely loathed and yet have given both brands unparalleled success over the last decade, not to mention a very real edge over their competitors.
Marketing Beat looks at some of most annoying UK adverts and campaigns of the last 20 years, with analysis from industry experts Danny Denhard and Harry Lang to boot.
READ MORE: Top 10 most complained-about TV ads in the UK
Gio Compario – Go Compare (Since 2009)
First launched in 2009, GoCompare’s Gio Compario character has now become synonymous with the Newport-based price comparison site, even propelling Welsh tenor Wynne Evans into something of a minor celebrity.
Denhard
Verdict: Good
“This campaign was everywhere and is deliberately annoying so as to stick in your mind and provoke a reaction, it is repetitive and loud which often many find annoying, with that being said, Gino has lasted the test of time.”
Lang
Verdict: Good
“Gio Compario probably tops the list of the ad characters most people would like to see euthanised. However, the longevity of the campaign and consistency of the jingle means most adult car owners can sing it in their dreams/nightmares.”
Compare the Meerkat – Compare the Market (Since 2009)
Compare the Market’s equally iconic Meerkat characters have turned the small Cambridgeshire firm into a household name – with the lovable CGI cast opening up commercial opportunities for the price comparison firm that would have seemed beyond belief just a few years ago.
Denhard
Verdict: Good
“Like many ads at the time it was different and not directly logical. I can see why people would find it annoying – however, it is a campaign many will try to replicate.”
Lang
Verdict: Good
“VCCP built the Compare the Market brand rapidly and successfully using characters and scripts that lodged in the psyche of British viewers. The longevity of the campaign is testament to how bloody successful it’s been, but it’s worth remembering that the comparison brand spent an estimated £90 million on the campaign in 2021.”
READ MORE: Durex reminds us that #FitMatters with latest campaign
Barry Scott – Cillit Bang (2005-07, 2013-16)
Reckitt’s Cillit Bang introduced the fictional character Barry Scott to present their adverts back in 2005 and his iconic shouty delivery has spawned a veritable cultural phenomenon – and once more became heavily associated with the brand’s image itself.
Denhard
Verdict: Good
“This infomercial ad was a stroke of genius. It’s definitely annoying but that’s the magic. Barry was essentially an early meme. Anything that breaks the category norm will annoy the general public, but that’s the response many advertisers have learnt works.”
Lang
Verdict: Good
“Simple, to the point and as far as I could see whenever I tried to clean up unidentified floor spillages, absolutely true. This campaign was a cultural and commercial masterpiece, as one assumes it was shot on a minimal budget when compared to others on this list.”
DJ Earl & Puppets – Wonga Puppets (2012)
This wildly unpopular campaign grated millions of viewers for years in the mid-2010s before the payday lender controversially collapsed into administration in 2018 after incurring heavy losses.
Denhard
Verdict: Rubbish
“The Wonga ad shows its age and is almost too chaotic for a 30-second slot. The vertical it represents likely didn’t help the ad either. Some of the others on this list stand the test of time, this one doesn’t.”
Lang
Verdict: Rubbish
“Wonga likely put a number of low-income families back a decade or more in their battle for financial independence. It is, some would say deservedly, no more – which means their grating puppets will never be seen again. Good.”
READ MORE: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Three ads sparking conversations this week
“You Buy One, You Get One Free!” – Safestyle UK (1999-2006)
Glazing firm Safestyle UK tapped Burnley FC stadium announcer Jeff Brown for this classic ad campaign, simple yet effective and mounted on a shoestring budget – this campaign lives long in the memory.
Denhard
Verdict: Rubbish
“I understand the logic behind this one and it definitely sticks in your head, but I do appreciate why this was one of the most annoying. The visual and audio disrupts you even if you’re multitasking with the ad on.”
Lang
Verdict: Good
“I’ve no idea why this ad is even on this list. I love it. Sadly for Jeff Brown, who earned nearly £350,000 playing the character over a six-year period, he failed to file any tax returns and was threatened with jail in 2016, which seems kind of appropriate, somehow.”
ISA ISA Baby – Halifax (2010)
So bad it elicited a wave a of pure hatred from the public, this advert will live long in the memory for the cringe it induces in audiences – however, a testament to its enduring impact is that it remains fresh in the collective memory 12 years on.
Denhard
Verdict: Rubbish
“Very representative of the time, this ad is deliberately different `and attempts to spark a reaction. Unfortunately for viewers it was a frustrating one that stimulates the wrong response, although likely to have improved positive recalls to begin with.”
Lang
Verdict: Rubbish
“When this blight on society hit screens in 2010, I remember having a distinct urge to ask Halifax to pull it and add a small proportion of the planned media spend to my current account interest rate instead. The script is clunky and the acting achingly wooden.”
READ MORE: Divide and Conquer: Does Walkers’ Crisp In Crisp Out demonstrate how brands can benefit from debate?
Whilst some the ads listed here are truly awful, what can’t be disputed is their significant cultural impact – with their clunky jingles, rightly or wrongly, burned into the British psyche. As Lang points out: “Not every brand can be a Nike or a Guinness. Car insurance, cleaning products and double glazing simply aren’t that cool.”
“Not all ads are meant to be epic productions with Hollywood budgets and emotive, highly charged scripts. They are either meant to build brand fame or induce ‘direct response’ purchase decisions.”
Indisputably, a number of brands on this list struck gold with these dubious campaigns, building small brands into market leaders – showing beyond a doubt, and perhaps more by luck than judgement, that even the most outlandish of ideas can generate enormous success.
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