Meerkat Aleksandr Orlov scores another brand point

Aleksandr, the fictional character developed for the UK based insurance website brand, comparethemarket.com, is yet reinventing itself and solidifying the cult status acquired following a wildly successful campaign.

The story of Mr. Orlov, crystallising from the days of little beginnings on the TV screens as the aristocrat with the immensely popular ‘simples’ catchphrase, is set to balloon into a global literary icon with the release of the ‘autobiography’.

Already, the book is being tipped to top the Chrismas book charts ahead of authors including Tony Blair and Nelson Mandela.

Amazon, the retailers announced that it led it’s category of Movers and Shakers list after the book – titled ‘A Simples Life, My Life & Times’ -was published.

Aleksandr is something of an enigma. Despite hitting it off and building a very strong affinity with the viewers – a phenomenon the actual brand, comparethemarket website should be wary of – yet there has persisted, a fascinating symbiotic relationship between the two.

It remains to be seen if this latest venture, of continuing a very interesting story, from the TV screens to paperbacks will not make Aleksandr the brand at the detriment of the motherbrand.

I suppose the story in the book will exploit the ‘human angle’ execution of the TV Spots and relate to the ups and downs of life and the need to find the best insurance….

Anyway, this has been all good for as long as it went and particularly enjoyed the metamorphosis of a fictional character across different media and channels. I am on the lookout for what happens next after the book release!

I think mimicking the successful TV episodes will be a tough act to follow if they decide to stretch the book bit for the same reason why East Enders episodes aren’t literary cliff-hangers.

I guess the base for the popularity of this ‘autobiography’, already into Amazon’s TOP 100 list on the strength of pre-orders alone, finds a comfortable fulcrum on the axis of 763,000 fans on Facebook, 41,000 followers on Twitter and a whopping 700,000 iPhone app downloads.