Meerkat ads pulled over Ukraine war sensitivities

The site confirmed suspicions that 'the meerkats are fictional characters'

The Comparethemarket site has pulled its adverts featuring Russian Meerkat Aleksandr Orlov from content relating to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Amid continued threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin - and the consequential threat to the Ukrainian people - the price comparison site has reviewed its media strategy, reports the BBC. Orlov, who is usually depicted alongside his sidekick Sergei, has become a staple of adverts here in the UK and seems to be based on caricature versions of Russia oligarchs. While Comparethemarket emphasised that "the meerkats are fictional characters", they also admitted to "continually reviewing our advertising to ensure we're being sensitive to the current situation." The meerkat campaign was initially created by advertising agency VCCP back in 2009. It has since been voted the nation's favourite TV advert in 2016 and Orlov's catchphrase "simples" was added to the Oxford dictionary back in 2019. While everyone from Disney to FIFA is considering their position on the conflict, others are questioning whether removing the adverts is going too far. "FFS. They're banning the meerkats, now? This is ridiculous," wrote one Twitter user. https://twitter.com/jannababie/status/1498543549444501514 Another wrote: "The uk loves to do meaningless things whilst avoiding doing anything actually substantial," while someone else echoed their sentiment: "This country and gestures, actually a sickness." Regardless of what people deem as "gesture politics", other businesses are following suit. Warner Bros has paused the release of The Batman in Russia due to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. "In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia," a spokesperson for Warner Bros said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy." Related links:

• Boris Johnson says more than 200,000 Ukrainians could be allowed to join family in UK
• Russia set to be banned by FIFA following invasion of Ukraine