After Comparethemarket.com launched Aleksandr Orlov last year, its competitors have launched many  campaigns as well. Irritating or fun ? - one thing must be said - they work pretty well!

You probably recognise the name from a jingle that repeat itself in your head every other minute. Or, you know the internet address thanks to the adverts you see so often, you can sing them by heart with the sound turned down on your tv. Or maybe they have actually done what they said they could do and save you money on your car insurance.

However, there is no denying that 4 companies are blazing a trail in one of the UK’s fastest emerging internet markets.

The first TV ad introducing Comparethemarket.com's meerkat Aleksandr Orlov was launched in January 2009. The character is voiced by Simon Greenall who is perhaps best known as Michael from I'm Alan Partridge, was created by advertising agency VCCP. Comparethemarket.com is owned by BGL Group and  was launched in 2006.

Moneysupermarket.com

Moneysupermarket.com was co-founded by Simon Nixon in 1999. The company broke the record for the largest UK internet stockmarket flotation in 2007 but the stock slumped. It reviewed its advertising account last year and appointed MCBD, which also handles Hovis. Dragons' Den star Peter Jones was dropped for the more effervescent Omid Djalili. British-born Djalili has appeared in films including Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean as well as his eponymous BBC1 show. He replaced Rowan Atkinson as Fagin in the West End production of Oliver!

Gocompare.com
Founded in 2006, Gocompare.com launched its first multimillion-pound ad campaign last summer to take on the growing threat of the meerkat. The TV ads feature opera singer Gio Compario, created by husband-and-wife ad team of Chris Wilkins and Sian Vickers. The duo also made the Sheila's Wheels campaign. Gocompare.com's ad campaign was voted the most irritating ad of last year in a survey in Marketing magazine.

Confused.com

Owned by car insurer Admiral, Confused.com was launched in 2002. Like Moneysupermarket.com it launched a pitch for its advertising account in a strategy rethink to head off the meerkat. Trevor Beattie's ad agency BMB will launch its campaign next month. Beattie, the man behind campaign's including "FCUK" for French Connection and "Hello Boys!" for Wonderbra, has promised that the ads do not feature an "invented character or gimmicks, just out-and-out benefits for consumers". Most recent ads found on YouTube feature testimonials from people about how great the service is.