There is something endearingly cheeky about Ruslan Kogan, the founder of online retail upstart Kogan Technologies.

In June, we shared Kogan Technology’s very funny satirical advertisement for Minister Conroy’s ‘spams and scams’ internet filter. This was not the first time we caught a glimpse of the young entrepreneur’s sense of humour. In March 2009, his company introduced Australian consumers to the chuckle-prompting KEVIN 37 Plasma Television set for $900.

This week, following a not-too-carefully constructed remark from business icon Gerry Harvey, who reportedly described Kogan as “a con” to The Age,  the following commercial was aired during the highly anticipated (and highly watched) Ben Cousins’ documentary on Network Seven.

Kogan’s anti-advertising advertisement

Funny? Hypocritical? Pure viral marketing gold? That’s for you to decide. What’s more interesting about this public spat is the underlying question it raises. What drives consumers — expensive television advertisements to establish trust and, therefore, create the ability to sell products at a premium price or the opportunity to purchase online at discount rate?