Interesting article in The Telegraph last weekend, all about likeability in advertising. Market research group Nielsen have named a short commercial for cut price supermarket chain Aldi the ‘most liked commercial’ of 2011. The ad finished top of Nielsen’s ‘likeability index’ - which is essentially based on the number of people who liked an ad they saw and can subsequently remember the brand. Nielsen’s conclusion is that ‘relatable characters have replaced celebrities as the central characters in the TV ads we love the most.’ The article – written by Laurence Green, one of the founding partners of 101 – goes on to balance the likeability argument against campaigns that have irritated but still achieved stand out (Webuyanycar.com and the Halifax, to name but two), and concludes that perhaps the most dangerous place for a brand to be is the no man’s land between likeability and irritation – in other words, campaigns that resoundingly fail to get any kind of reaction.