Adam Buxton’s latest Squarespace advert, which recently ran on the comedian’s long-running eponymous podcast series, is almost the perfect example of pop eating itself. The audio ad finds Buxton adopting the guise of other popular podcasts – This American Life, Jon Ronson – to sell the web-building platform, in the knowledge that his audience will totally get it.

Buxton’s ad contains almost everything the podcast generation seems to crave – irony, self-referentialism, a discount, Jon Ronson’s voice … and demonstrates the increasingly blurred lines between content and commercials. In the case of The Adam Buxton Podcast, the adverts are almost as appealing as the interview content itself.

And this is great news for advertisers. GWI’s recent Connecting The Dots report shows that podcasts are an increasingly powerful medium for brand discovery, surpassing traditional platforms, especially among younger audiences. “Three years ago, consumers preferred radio shows over podcasts. Now that’s switched around and podcasts are still making strong gains in our daily lives,” the report says. These days, over one in five podcast listeners now discover new brands and products through sponsored content on podcasts.

Adam Buxton, Squarespace, This American Life ad