Ad Review: Esurance commercials with Dennis Quaid

Remember Erin, the pink-haired secret agent who starred in the first Esurance TV commercials? Alas, some people liked the character a little too much and the company was forced to retire her after fans flooded the Internet with sexy—and frequently, pornographic—illustrations of the spunky spy. Let’s all hope the same doesn’t happen to Dennis Quaid, spokesman for the latest Esurance campaign, “Surprisingly Painless.”

Clad in a smart blue suit, Quaid brings tongue-in-cheek humor as he tells viewers how easy insurance can be.

The affable actor, who had never appeared in a commercial before, is also the company’s first real-life spokesperson. (Although astute viewers may have recognized The Office actor John Krasinski as the voiceover talent for “Insurance for the Modern World,” the Esurance campaign that ran from 2011 to 2018.)

The new campaign frequently breaks the fourth wall, with Quaid acknowledging he’s in a commercial and speaking directly to viewers. In one ad, Quaid gives the cue to play “overdramatic” music and narrates himself walking off into a sunset.

Esurance and ad agency Leo Burnett Chicago launched the campaign with a frankly hilarious press release that both explains and embodies the company’s strategy:

People told us that insurance can be a pain. It’s filled with confusing jargon and frustrating complexity. And, let’s be honest, so are most press releases. But this press release is about a new brand promise and campaign from Esurance focused on making insurance surprisingly painless. So we’re going to keep it simple.

When we asked Esurance Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Mark Pitchford for a quote, he said, “Dealing with insurance can be frustrating. It’s confusing. It’s a hassle. And it’s way too expensive. That’s why Esurance is making it easy to understand, simple to use, and more affordable. In other words, we’re making insurance surprisingly painless.”

What a clever idea—to acknowledge the pain points of both insurance and advertising to get the attention of consumers.

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Below: The first ad in the “Surprisingly Painless” campaign features new Esurance spokesperson Dennis Quaid acknowledging our indifference toward insurance and poking light fun of the fact that he’s in a commercial.

Below: In this ad, titled “Something You Want,” Quaid and Esurance demonstrate their understanding that insurance isn’t sexy, delicious, or fun. But everyone needs it, and Esurance can help.

Why did Esurance choose Dennis Quaid?

In an interview with Adweek, Nancy Abraham, vice president of integrated marketing communications at Esurance (the red-haired executive who makes a cameo near the end of “Just Another Dennis Quaid Commercial”), said the company wanted someone that consumers across generations would know and relate to.

“He is this tried-and-true actor. He is somebody who people have a connection with. He’s endearing and charming,” Abraham said. “He’s known for his dramatic roles, but he can deliver that humor in a very earnest way.”

“You can’t not like Dennis Quaid,” added Gordy Sang, senior vice president and creative director at Leo Burnett.

Indeed, in the campaign’s debut ad, “It’s Surprisingly Painless,” Quaid himself says he was chosen because he is “highly likable.”

Do these Esurance commercials work?

Advertising legend David Ogilvy was no fan of putting celebrities in ads. He believed that too often, people remembered the celebrity but forgot the product. (Humor has the same problem, as people tend to remember the gag and forget the advertiser.)

But here, I think hiring Quaid was a good call and a smart fit for the strategy.

With this campaign, Esurance is positioning itself as the plain-spoken company that makes insurance painless. In taking playful jabs at insurance and advertising, the company aims to appeal to consumers who have little interest in either. (In other words, most of us.)

The company’s gimmick, Esurance wants us to believe, is no gimmick at all. And the charismatic Quaid brings a trustworthy face to the proceedings as he sells the honest approach with disarming humor and charm.

This is the kind of advertising I have always liked. It dispenses with the B.S. and gets straight to the point, telling people in specific terms how the company can help them.

No crazy characters. No talking animals. No convoluted setups to deliver ridiculous jokes.

One can imagine future Esurance commercials tackling the complexity of insurance head on, with Quaid demystifying industry jargon and dropping helpful tips to educate people so they can become more informed insurance consumers.

The (not so) Cranky verdict

If you haven’t guessed by now, I like this campaign.

It speaks directly to consumers in a way that I’ve been urging other companies to do. (I’m looking at you, Liberty Mutual and your terrible Truth Tellers and LiMu Emu commercials.)

My one worry is how Leo Burnett Chicago will keep the campaign fresh. A lot of advertisers now are breaking the fourth wall in their ads, and while Quaid’s blue suit and tongue-in-cheek humor may be likable today, they could wear thin down the road.

In that respect, I think the laid-back look and feel of the Trivago spokesman (Timothy Leigh Williams) may be better suited to a long-running campaign.

But for now, these are good-looking, straight-shooting ads that help Esurance carve out a unique position in the market. At last, someone is trying to make insurance—and insurance advertising—less painful.

Cranky Ad Rating: Four highly likable spokespeople out of five.

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What do you think of Dennis Quaid and the new Esurance commercials? Share your thoughts below.

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