I hate Allstate’s ‘safe drivers save 40 percent’ commercial

1. I have found my tribe

   1. Welcome, LC. We’re glad to have you!

2. The J. G. Wentworth ad has infuriated me since it began several years ago. I mean, I like opera, but this is intolerable. I can’t smash the mute button quickly enough. Advertisers think repetition is the key to success, no matter how asinine or annoying their ads are. The “wet teddy bear” ad from Liberty Mutual is DUMB and dumb doesn’t equal funny. It was unfunny the first time I saw it and it hasn’t improved with age.

   1. Ditto, James. Liberty Mutual’s teddy bear schtick is beyond awful. Just when I think their ads can’t get worse, they trot out that crap.

      State Farm is creeping up in the irritation rankings. I’m more embarrassed for–rather than irritated by–Chris Paul and Aaron Rodgers.

3. Allstate Insurance with the late French singer Édith Piaf’s hit single Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien. The woman is ‘singing’ if you can call it singing…through her nose in French while we see items left on the tops of cars. I scramble to change the channel or mute the sound! So freaking annoying I’d change my insurance IF I had it with Allstate!

   1. Oh, Marion. Say it ain’t so!

      I think that commercial is great. It’s creative, it’s entertaining, and it all pays off with a compelling selling message at the end. I understand that the music may not be to everyone’s taste, but you have to admit, it does add to the quirky humor.

      Hey, at least there’s no bloody screaming.

      Here’s the ad for those who haven’t seen it:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdLxM_5_bXo

      April 5 edit: And here is my review.

      Thanks for writing, Marion!

      1. I’m with Marion on this one–and for once, I disagree with you, Rob.

         The song is irritating, but that may simply be a function of an over-played commercial. And I fail to see how otherwise negligent folks who leave crap on top of their cars (whether the crap falls off or not) are somehow “safe drivers.”

         True story. I was sitting in my car in my office parking lot about 90 minutes ago, waiting for an older gentleman to move his vehicle out of the way so I could back out. As he slowly tried to do a Y-turn for whatever reason, he hit my car. Again, he was driving slowly and ostensibly carefully–but hit me anyway.

         So the fact that the damn fish didn’t fall off the car doesn’t equate to a safe choice or safe driving.

         Thanks and adieu from the overanalyzing department.

         1. I get you, Joe. Advertising has an objective purpose — to build awareness and goodwill and sell the product. But all of the elements that surround that purpose — the creative idea, the music, the writing, the voice acting — it’s all subjective. So I respect your right to not like this ad.

            Especially in light of today’s unfortunate fender-bender. I’m sorry to hear of it, and I hope the damage was minimal. Car accidents (even small ones) are the worst!

            Here’s hoping your insurance company — whoever it is — takes good care of you. And thanks for writing, Joe! Always enjoy your comments.

4. I’m about to lose my cookies with the perfectly-coifed guy who drives perhaps a mile total–on a beautiful day on a quaint little island–to purchase eggs and fish. After he drives home, he checks his phone to see how much $ he saved on premiums for safe driving….

   Here’s an idea, Einstein. Walk. You’ll save even more.

   Perhaps my kids are right. I’m just not cut out for the 21st century.

   1. I’m with you, Joe. For the life of me, I can never remember the company or product this ad is supposed to sell.

      I remember the scenery, I remember the “story.” I even like the look and feel. But I’ll be damned if I can recall the key information this advertiser spent so much money to convey.

      It’s what happens when the advertising people who make the ads wish they were artists or movie makers instead.

5. My daughter hated this post so much she made me stop reading it aloud.

   1. I hope you mean she hated the ad, Jose! Maybe you should read it to her again, just for fun. 😛

6. There currently are SO MANY annoying commercials! I believe I lose millions of brain cells everytime I see an ad with the Experian boost purple cow, any ad with Limu Emu and Doug, the Geico gecko, Flo and her idiot sidekicks, Zoltar and the list goes on. And, do you see the theme here–they are all insurance company ads (except Experian)! Come on, quit insulting our intelligence with this idiocy! The only really good ad I’ve seen recently is from American Family Insurance with the toy car racing around to the tune of You Make My Dreams Come True.

   1. Agreed, tho’ I would add the American Family ad to the scrap heap as well. Truth be told, Hall and Oates is/are an insult to my eardrums (but that’s a different issue).

      Am Fam has been trotting out this “we insure your dreams” crap for years. When we had hail damage to our roof a few years back, the Am Fam adjuster was not some warm fuzzy. He was a callous a-hole who didn’t give a flying shit about anything but cutting the smallest claim check possible.

      And now they have the naming rights to Miller Park. Ugh…

   2. Good point, Anonymous — the worst ads on television are from insurance companies. Somewhere along the line, someone had an idea, whether it was the GEICO gecko or the AFLAC duck. But just like a game of telephone, the idea and the message got lost a little bit with every new company that followed along.

      Now all we have is one big cacophony of stupid, with each advertiser doing its best to out-stupid the others.

      Good on American Family Insurance for breaking from the pack and doing something different.

7. The Burger Joint ad is supposed to instruct us in the virtue of patience in the face of adversity as a subliminal take away….and hammer us to death with the message. Why must there always be a dopey dork like androgynous Jamie….in this case the putz at the table? Interestingly our empathy is attempted to be gained in the opening….who among us has not been annoyed by a service person on their phone when at a counter (in this case the counter guy is scribbling, perhaps an order)? Then we are supposed to emulate the Zen of Allstate Man, surrounded as we all are by a sea of annoying bullshit, and Keep Calm, Carry On, and absorb the message. Absolutely awful stuff.

   In contrast….a repetitive format ad that works…”Call JG Wentworth, 877 CASH NOW”. I think that is a great ad in every respect….the bus one. You will never forget that number! (Who are those people…Metropolitan Opera cast for Siegfried?). So there you have an example, in Steve Martin’s words, of the difference between S#@t and Shinola.

   1. Hi, Cap’n! As always, I appreciate the comedy of your in-depth analysis. But I watched that J.G. Wentworth ad, and hoo-boy. I don’t know. I think I’d jump on the mute button for this one, too.

      Anyone care to chime in?

8. Amen on both Allstate ads, which approach the sheer idiocy of those of Liberty Mutual. State Farm is a close third with Jake, who has the personality of stump.

   I seem to recall it was Haysbert sitting in a chair in the middle of a busy intersection, making snide observations about folks’ safety choices….

   I always get a chuckle out of the “becoming your parents” ads (likely hit home a bit), tho’ it takes me a spell to recall what’s being advertised. Clever to the point that the message is buried.

   1. Hey, Joe! See, I didn’t mind the Allstate ad with Haysbert sitting in the middle of a busy intersection. At least it sounded good thanks to the actor’s calm and composed delivery. And although the soundtrack was sprinkled with car horns and squealing brakes, it was altogether more listenable than the cacophonous “safe drivers save 40 percent” debacle the company is running now.

      And yes, I too think the “becoming your parents” ads work well. They’re entertaining without being obnoxious — which is rare these days.

      Oh, and Jake from Allstate? I actually liked those ads before the Diversity Police changed Jake from a white guy to black. Hey, I’m all for representation, but simply changing the race of an already-established character feels like pandering to me. The company should have given the new guy a different name so they could alternate characters from ad to ad.

      Thanks for writing, Joe. Good to hear from you!

Comments are closed.