Compare The Market has announced it will no longer be airing its TV ads around news broadcasts, amid the escalating situation in Ukraine.
Since 2009, the insurance comparison site has used the ad campaign Compare The Meerkat, featuring two Russian meerkat characters named Aleksandr and Sergei.
However, the brand has now confirmed it will be minimising the on-screen presence of these ads, ensuring they do not air close to news broadcasts, in what they described as a move to be “sensitive to the current situation”.
A spokesperson for the site said: “The Compare the Market meerkats are fictional characters. They have no association with Russia and the current situation.
“We are continually reviewing our advertising to ensure we’re being sensitive to the current situation.”
In the past 13 years, Aleksandr has been portrayed as an extravagant billionaire, with his catchphrase “simples” becoming popular among viewers.
Compare The Market saw its traffic increase about 80 per cent after the CGI animated adverts began in 2009.
The website has also released a range of merchandise to coincide with its long-running ad campaign, including soft toys, downloadable content and even an “autobiography” for Aleksandr, titled A Simples Life: The Life And Times Of Aleksandr Orlovwhich.
Since the invasion of Ukraine on the orders of Russian president Vladimir Putin last week, it’s been announced that the Formula 1 Grand Prix will not be going ahead in Russia this year.
Russia has also been excluded from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and World Cup.