Hasta la vista. Meerkat.

Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger has been making headlines in recent years with his decision to retire from politics to re-embark on the movie career with which he made his name. There's a new Terminator film on the horizon, which looks set to catapult Arnie back into the media spotlight, but his latest role is a far more subtle affair; a Compare the Meerkat ad. That's right, the cuddly Russian Meerkats created by VCCP for the comparethemarket.com insurance comparison website actually face up to the most famous action movie star on the planet in their latest escapade, and it's surprisingly delightful! The campaign has been a runaway success for the site, so it seems unlikely that VCCP will be changing tack any time soon.

The latest campaign push is being backed not only by the main ad, but by a longer interview between “Mr Arnold” and the snazzy Alexandr

Compare the Meerkat – Set Tour

The latest campaign push is being backed not only by the main ad, but by a longer interview between “Mr Arnold” and the snazzy Alexandr. The three minute video sees Arnie trading catchphrases with his new furry friend and even sharing some bodybuilding tips. It's all very twee and a bit silly, but it's also really refreshing to see such a larger than life character taking himself a little less seriously than perhaps we're used to. The main spot premiered last Friday (April 3) on ITV during Coronation Street, and looks set to become one of the most popular spots of the season. It also seems like more of a natural fit than the spot released earlier this year that saw Arnie's Expendables co-star and fellow action hero Sylvester Stallone flogging Warburtons bread!

The spot exists primarily to promote the new Meerkat Movies scheme that appears to be an ambitious move on the company's part to replace Orange Wednesdays

Compare the Meerkat – Interview with “Mr Arnold”

The spot exists primarily to promote the new Meerkat Movies scheme that appears to be an ambitious move on the company's part to replace the now defunct Orange Wednesdays offer, which went the way of the dodo earlier this year when Orange became EE and decided they'd prefer to put their money behind Kevin Bacon. The system appears to work in the same way, only users don't have to be beholden to a particular mobile phone network in order to take advantage of the offer, they simply have to purchase insurance through comparethemarket.com and they'll get 12 months worth of vouchers in return. The system is also a little more flexible, as it allows for 2 for 1 vouchers on Tuesdays as well as Wednesdays.

VCCP unveiled a remarkable new spot this week for the new McLaren 570S, the luxury car manufacturer's latest super car

The McLaren 570S – #BlackSwanMoments

In related news, VCCP unveiled a remarkable new spot this week for the new McLaren 570S, the luxury car manufacturer's latest super car. The film was shot by the production company Outsider and their star directing duo Dom & Nic, and is yet another cinematic triumph from the agency. It shows a black swan flying against a monumental wind, with a dramatic voiceover comparing the resilience and power of the bird with the new car, which looks absolutely stunning. The film aims to highlight the 570S as McLaren’s next “Black swan moment,” and I think it's fair to say they succeeded! Have a look for yourselves above. If you manage to watch the whole thing without REALLY wanting to buy a McLaren then you're probably not human.

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician with quite an affinity for Meerkats and Mr Schwarzenegger. His favourite Arnie movie is “Commando,” for the immortal line “Let off some steam Bennett.”