Has anyone else been driven mad by the Cazoo used car adverts? I absolutely hate them. 

The initial ones showed people saying C-A-A-A-A-Z-O-O-O-O-O-O, drawn-out for the duration of the ad, with one man disappearing down the back of his settee for the night until his new car arrives. Another shows a mum ferrying children around all day - you can effortlessly buy your new car while you do everything else. I suppose it’s slightly better than endless games of “would you rather . . .”.

Now the campaign has stepped up a gear. The annoying gimmick is gone and the ads are full of deals and details about how convenient it is – clothes, fast food and now cars delivered to your door.

None of this has happened by chance. Cazoo has used a good marketing ploy to get its name ingrained in people's minds, like Go Compare using Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans. Forget the details or how insanely annoying the adverts, when you're looking for a new car, insurance, etc, what's the first name that pops into your head?

Having adopted this clever marketing ploy, there is a danger that an advert is so annoying that it puts people off a product and dismiss it as a gimmick.

This is a strategy marketing agencies will work out with a client and make them aware of the risks. If it’s a new business, or one few people have heard of, what’s the harm in making a brand a household name?

Even if it rubs people up the wrong way, it’s getting the name out there. And there is plenty of truth in the old adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

The Go Compare opera singer has been such a success that the story of how annoying he was has taken on a life of its own and has actually became part of the adverts, following Wynne becoming a figure of hate, losing his job and now, finally returning to stardom.

Whatever you think of the adverts, and however much they might be annoying, if someone asked you to name a car-selling app, or insurance comparison site, chances are Cazoo and Go Compare would be the first names you would think of. As long as the ads get you to remember the name, they have done their job.

And this is nothing new. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, many adverts bore little or no resemblance to the products they were promoting. The intention was to get people talking about the ad and find out what was being sold as almost an afterthought.

I still have soft toys from the Creature Comforts TV ads, which promoted how easily “turn off and on-able” electric appliances were. I had the tortoise and the penguin and vividly remember the ads. Subconsciously, even today, I associate them with electric ovens, showers and heaters.

And, if I remember correctly, the latest offerings at the time from iconic brands such as Oxo, Nescafe, Hamlet and John Smith’s were awaited as eagerly as the John Lewis Christmas adverts are today.

So, perhaps annoying people to get yourself noticed isn’t such a bad thing – but only if what you are selling is worth their while.

For those fortunate enough not to have seen it, check out the Cazoo ad https://youtu.be/1yUA-Ov1s-M if you’re feeling brave.