Using texting lingo, State Farm offers young drivers a line to send to their friends before they drive.

Summary

Commercial opens with a young adult getting a text message as she is finishing lunch.

Text #1: Hey, girl. Seven still good for you tonight?

Reply: Perfect, thanks. What should I wear?

Text #2: Ryan and I are going to Spencer’s place after the show tonight, want to join?

Reply: Can’t, plans with J. You guys have fun.

As the commercial progresses, all of the people she is texting join her as she is walking. In other words, they are texting each other to converse rather than actually talking.

Text #3: Sup, Mol. You have notes from Lit class?

Reply: Yo, M. Notes at home meet you tomorrow a.m. @ cc’s?

Text #4: Hey, Mol. J ok? He didn’t call back.

Text #5: Did you borrow my vest?

Young woman gets into her car.

Spoken Reply: Alright you guys, not now I’m driving.

Text Reply: NNID (not now I’m driving)

Young woman puts her cell phone away and drives off, leaving the group of friends standing together on the curb. Once the friends realize that she isn’t going to be replying back, they disperse.

Screen changes to read “Park the phone. Drive.”

Point of Commercial

I know that this commercial isn’t selling insurance. It is more of a public service announcement that was put together by State Farm Insurance, but it still is an advertisement for them .

The point of the commercial is that texting is okay in certain situation and driving is not one of them.

What They Want you to Do

State Farm Insurance wants people to stop texting while they drive. Texting not only takes your mind off the road, it also takes your eyes off the road to look at your cell phone. You can’t text and still be able to drive in ideal situations, let alone react to a situation.

This particular distraction increases your chance of having an accident, which in turn is paid for by the insurance company.

My Opinion

I know State Farm Insurance’s intentions were good when they created this commercial, but I question the message.

If a young driver were to text NNID (Not Now I’m Driving) to a friend that texted them while they were driving, wouldn’t this defeat the purpose of telling people not to text?

Overall, the intention of the commercial was good. I just feel that it sends a confusing message and doesn’t really address why people shouldn’t text while driving.

I give this State Farm Insurance commercial a thumbs up and a thumbs down.

Another inspired story from an actual Mercury Insurance Group Customer that makes our regular vehicle problems look tame.

Summary

Commercial opens with a gentleman (a Mercury Insurance Group customer) sitting in a chair talking to us.

Customer: My Mercury moment happened during Rush Week.

The scene changes to the same customer looking up at the roof where a sedan marked with Greek letters from a fraternity on it.

Customer: When I discovered my car had been moved from its reserved parking spot. Thankfully I chose Mercury as my insurance company. They got my car off the roof and into a body shop in no time. It looks great; and now I get a free car wash every week. Isn’t that right gentlemen?

Scene changes to 5 young men washing the same sedan that was on the roof earlier, but it now no longer has Greek letters on it.

The scene changes again to the Mercury Insurance Group logo, with their website and phone number.

Announcer: We’ve dropped our rates 10% or more and added new discounts and benefits too. Get a quote at Mercuryinsurance.com.

Point of Commercial

The fine print at the bottom of this Mercury Insurance Group commercial clearly states that this commercial is not a testimonial. So, the events that are shown in the commercial are just inspired by actual customers and their experiences; this particular one may or may not have necessarily happened.

Still, Mercury Insurance Group is using these stories (there is a whole series of these types of commercials) to show that no matter how odd your claim may be, they will be there to help.

What They Want you to Do

Mercury Insurance Group is looking for two courses of action from you. First, they want you to think about your current insurance company and how helpful they are to you. Would they go out of their way to help you like Mercury Insurance Group is saying that they do for their customers?

Second, they want you to visit their website. They show you the website address at the end and also verbally ask you to visit their site. The phone number is also shown, but I really think that it is just there for the few potential customers that don’t use the internet.

My Opinion

I am really split on this commercial. Yes, it was entertaining. No, it is not true story.

I also am not feeling a huge urge to rethink my current insurance or to contact Mercury Insurance Group for a quote. So, there is no inspiration in this particular commercial that would cause me to take any action; which is a must if you want to sell insurance.

I give this Mercury Insurance commercial a thumbs up and a thumbs down.

Twelve tales to emphasize that GEICO Insurance really can save you 15% or more on car insurance.

Summary

Each of the twelve commercials opens with the GEICO announcer asking two questions.

Announcer: Could switching to GEICO really save you 15% or more on car insurance? (Enter 2nd question here)……………

1) Is Ed “Too Tall” Jones too tall?

2) Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?

3) Does a 10 pound bag of flour make a really big biscuit?

4) Did the cavemen invent fire?

5) Was Abe Lincoln honest?

6) Is having a snowball fight with pitching great Randy Johnson a bad idea?

7) Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?

8) Can fútbol (soccer) announcer Andrés Cantor make any sport exciting?

9) Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?

10) Does Elmer Fudd have trouble with the letter “r”?

11) Do woodchucks chuck wood?

12) Did the little piggy cry “wheee-wheee-wheee” all the way home?

Point of Commercial

We have reviewed some of these GEICO commercials before, but I thought that having a whole collection of them in one post would be a perfect way to show how identical each of these commercials are. As you watch each of these commercials you will notice that the announcer asks the same question each time and the same point that GEICO can save you 15% or more is made with each commercial.

There is no deviation from the base point in each commercial; the only thing that does change is the comical second question to confirm the announcer’s first question.

What They Want you to Do

GEICO wants you to visit GEICO.com. This is the only contact information they give and it is only at the end of each commercial. Thinking about it though, this is the only contact information I ever remember for GEICO and I don’t watch TV, so I guess their advertising is working.

My Opinion

I am actually going to refrain from giving a thumbs up or a thumbs down on these commercials as there are 12 of them here, and I don’t feel the same way about all of them. There are some that I like (the woodchucks) and some that I would possibly live a better life if I never saw again (the little piggy).

Overall, GEICO does a good job in making the commercials memorable as they are not easily forgotten. This works well for them, because then people will think of GEICO when they are trying to remember companies they can contact for insurance quotes.

MetLife Insurance brings us back to the whole reason we purchase insurance in the first place.

Summary

Announcer: As a new car owner you face a lot of big ifs: if you can’t avoid every obstacle, if you can’t avoid every hazard, if your current insurance doesn’t provide full replacement coverage. With MetLife auto and home you’re automatically covered at no additional cost for a full year, with no depreciation.

One more way we help you build a personal safety net with guarantees for the road ahead. Call on our expertise and we will help you navigate the “ifs” in life.

As the announcer speaks we watch Snoopy drive from the sales lot with his new vehicle and successfully avoid all the “ifs” that life can throw at him in this commercial.

Point of Commercial

This is a classic insurance commercial. MetLife Insurance doesn’t proclaim that they are the cheapest, the fastest at getting you a quote or even the biggest insurance company out there. They cutely tell you that they will be there for you “if” something bad happens to you in your vehicle.

Helping you during an accident is the exact reason we purchase car insurance and MetLife Insurance is playing on that point.

What They Want you to Do

MetLife Insurance wants you mostly to trust that they will be there for you if you choose them as your insurance company. They don’t push any certain method of contact through the commercial as you don’t actually get any contact information until the end of the commercial.

At the end the announcer makes a casual mention of calling them (classic call to action in a commercial) and then the end screen provides a 2 second shot of all the different methods they can be reached. These 2 seconds is just enough to register that the information is there, but not enough to write it down or remember them all.

My Opinion

This MetLife Insurance commercial is simple, cute, endearing (who doesn’t like Snoopy) and to the point. In other words, it provides entertainment while at the same time being clear as to what the commercial is selling.

I like commercials like these because then I don’t have to scratch my head after the commercial and wonder how in the world the commercial had anything to do with the product they were trying to sell.

I give this MetLife Insurance commercial two thumbs up.

Jerry has another interesting accident, but apparently didn’t make changes to his insurance coverage after the pole incident.

Summary

Commercial opens with the State Farm agent, Jessica, in her office. On the screen are the words “State of Savings”.

Jessica: State Farm this is Jessica.

Jerry: Hey Jessica, Jerry Neuman. I know I dropped you guys for the whole 15-minute sign up thing, but I’m having second thoughts right about now. Is now a good time to start a new policy?

Jessica: Is your car up a pole again?

Jerry: (laughing) You’re funny. No it’s in the garage; it’s not going anywhere.

Here we see Jerry’s car with the front end sticking out one side of the corner of the garage and the back end sticking out the other side of the corner of the garage.

Jessica: Well you could switch back to State Farm for auto. On average people do save 480 dollars.

On screen is the $480 with “Switch and Save” above it as well as a disclaimer below it. The disclaimer reads “Average annual per household savings based on a 2010 national survey of new policy holders who reported savings by switching to State Farm”.

Jerry: Really?!?!

Jessica: Yep, and nobody gives more discounts to more drivers. Like the multi-car discount.

Jerry: Multi car? Is that for a person with one car, but multiple accidents? ‘Cause that might really interest me.

Jessica: Not exactly, but that savings could get even bigger when you combine your auto and your home.

Jerry: Awesome, I just combined them.

Jessica: You did what Jerry?

Jerry’s car finishes rolling onto its side, taking out the corner of the garage that was still standing at the beginning.

Jerry: Actually I’m going to have to call you back.

Jessica: Anytime. Our call center is available 24/7 at 1-800-State Farm. With discounts like these, State Farm is the only quote you’ll ever need.

Jerry: Actually I’m going to need a quote for a stone mason.

Announcer: You could save an average of 480 dollars on auto. Get to a better state and a better rate, call 1-800-state-farm today.

Point of Commercial

Jerry is brought back again for another not-so-subtle jab at GEICO. State Farm wants to point out that they can save you money just like GEICO claims to, but that with State Farm you will have an agent to help you. With GEICO you don’t get that agent assistance as you purchase the insurance coverage directly through them.

What They Want you to Do

State Farm wants you to call them. Not call your local agent (which is surprising) or visit their website, but call them. This is very evident with how many times they tell you the phone number as well as their phone number being on the screen for 95% of the commercial.

My Opinion

Honestly, I would love to see more Jerry commercials. Not because I am a big fan of State Farm, but I want to see how many other ridiculous accidents the writers can come up with for him.

The commercial is memorable, which makes State Farm stick out in your head. It is also getting people talking, as you can see by the discussion thread from the last State Farm Jerry commercial I posted. Both of these things mean that the commercial is effective.

I give this commercial two thumbs up.