The Hartford teams up with AARP to help Grandma through the trauma of a car accident.

Summary

Commercial opens on a rainy night with a damaged car in what we assume is a body shop. A woman is holding a box and a man is talking to her as a taxi pulls up behind them.

The Hartford Claims Specialist: So I’ve arranged for a rental car to be dropped off at your house. You sure you got everything out of your car.

Woman: I think so.

The Hartford Claims Specialist: Let’s get you home.

Announcer: Why do drivers fifty and over switch to The Hartford, the only auto insurance program endorsed by AARP? More than savings and benefits.

Woman is at home going through her box, looking specifically for a CD case from her granddaughter. She finds that the CD is not in the case and is visibly upset.

Announcer: We handle the problems you’d expect and the ones you never knew you had.

Woman goes out to the rental the next morning and finds her missing CD in her rental car.

Woman (shown on phone): You don’t know how much this means to me. I’m serious, thank you.

The Hartford Claims Specialist (shown on phone): It’s my pleasure

Commercial closes with The Hartford contact information screen.

Announcer: The AARP auto insurance program from The Hartford.

Point of the Commercial

The point of the commercial is to make you feel that The Hartford will have you, their client, in their best interest. That they will be there with you every step of the way and help you get through any car accident you may be in.

Just like they directly say in their commercial, they want you to think that they will be there to do everything that you expect (fix your car and provide a rental). Also that they will be there to take care of the little things that you don’t expect to come up during the claims process.

As the target audience is seniors, this is important. With of all the bad things going on right now with the economy and corporation scandals draining their retirements, they need something to depend on.

What They Want you to Do

The Hartford has three things going for them in this commercial. One, they evoke emotion during the course of the commercial. Emotional purchases can be dangerous for your budget because emotion takes over your rational thinking.

Two, The Hartford is a solid insurance company that has been around for a long time and most seniors know of them. This gives a feeling of something being solid and consistent in a world that is in upheaval.

Three, they are partnering with AARP. Everyone that receives mail, watches TV, listens to the radio or uses the internet knows about AARP and the benefits that they offer to seniors.

The Hartford wants your trust and is hoping that it will lead to you contacting them for a quote.

My Opinion

I am of two minds about this commercial. As I have been in insurance and have been in several car accidents, I know that the process doesn’t work like they show in the commercial. There is no insurance professional there to hold your hand through the process (in person). Rental cars don’t show up in driveways and you only get one if you purchased insurance coverage for it.

But, I still get that warm and fuzzy feeling about The Hartford that they trying to invoke in the viewer. I am pretty sure that is connected to the fact that they took good care of grandma and most of us are softies when it comes to grandma.

I give it a thumbs up.

Even barbers can get coverage from Farm Bureau Insurance.

Summary

Commercial opens in a barber shop. One of the barbers is speaking to a man under a towel that is sitting in his chair.

Barber: You know- I just don’t know if I can trust her anymore-you know what I mean?

Man in the Chair: Well, I’ve been trying to tell ya…….

Barber places towel on the man’s face further down to cover his mouth.

Barber: We’ve been together almost three years. I know you told me I could do better. I know I could do better!

Man takes off the towel and it’s Farmer Charlie (mascot for the company in some of the Farm Bureau Insurance commercials). He puts on his Farm Bureau Insurance hat.

Charlie: All I’m saying is that if you switch you could save a lot of money.

Barber: But, I’m not a farmer Charlie.

Charlie: You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said.

Camera pans from Charlie, to the barber and to another barber that is shaking his head.

Announcer: You don’t have to be a farmer to save money with Farm Bureau Insurance, get a quote today at fbitn.com

Commercial closes with the Farm Bureau Insurance (Tennessee) logo and the web address for Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee.

Point of the Commercial

Farm Bureau Insurance is getting the word out that you don’t need to be a farmer to get Farm Bureau Insurance. You know though, I never really thought that they would just write policies for farmers. With the way that Farm Bureau Insurance advertises in my state and also with companies like State Farm and Farmers Insurance; having special car insurance for just farmers never occurred to me.

What They Want you to Do

This commercial is specifically for Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, you would never know though until the end of the commercial when it shows it. Farm Bureau Insurance does write insurance across the nation, but they have their products separated out for some states. For those in Tennessee that watch this commercial on television, Farm Bureau Insurance is encouraging contact online. This commercial never mentions any other form of contact to reach them.

For those that live outside of Tennessee, unless you do a search specifically for a Farm Bureau Insurance commercial online (like I do) you would probably have never seen this Farm Bureau Insurance commercial.

My Opinion

There is just something with this Farm Bureau Insurance commercial being set in an old fashioned barber shop that puts me at ease. I am not sure if it is because of the setting or if it is because it is filled with the stereotypical type of men that you can usually trust. Whatever it is, Farm Bureau Insurance did a great job.

It is a simple Farm Bureau Insurance commercial that gets to the point, has a little bit of humor and makes you want to go take a walk through an old fashioned downtown street.

I give this Farm Bureau Insurance commercial a thumbs up.

Frank from Esurance Car Insurance learns to never question how hard a computer tech works.

Summary

Commercial opens at one of the Esurance Car Insurance office buildings. On one side of the room are the online insurance employees (techs) and on the other side of the room are the call-in insurance employees (specifically, Frank).

Tech: Phew, I need a break from programming all these car insurance discounts-online.

Frank: I’m dishing out discounts all day. Doesn’t the Esurance website do most of your work? (sound effect) Safe Driver Discount (sound effect) Home Owner Discount (sound effect) Multi-car Discount.

Tech: (sound effect) Everyone has your online dating profile.

Frank: Huh?

Girl Behind Frank: You DJ on the weekends?

Frank: (DJ sound effects)

Announcer: Tons of discounts. See for yourself at Esurance. Technology when you want it-People when you don’t.

Point of the Commercial

You would think that the point of the commercial would be the Esurance Car Insurance discounts that the tech and Frank are talking about, but it’s not. The point of the commercial is that Esurance Car Insurance offers you the option of being able to take care of getting your insurance online or by calling them.

It sounds like Esurance Car Insurance is trying to correct the misconception that they are strictly an online company. This is actually smart on their part as it opens up the demographic of older insurance customers that do not use the internet to conduct business. Now they know that Esurance Car Insurance can be contacted by phone to get a quote, if they didn’t know it already.

What They Want you to Do

Esurance Car Insurance says nothing about calling to get a quote anywhere in the commercial. Don’t believe me? Go and read back through the summary above.

Instead Esurance Car Insurance does something else. They ask you to come and visit them to see what other discounts that they offer. This is very tricky of Esurance Car Insurance. Because once you get to their website, you have to get a quote to find out what discounts that they offer apply to you personally.

My Opinion

I like that Esurance Car Insurance is going away from the strictly cartoon commercials. This commercial is simple, gets the point across that Esurance car insurance has a lot of discounts that they give, can be contact with or without the internet and it is funny.

Honestly though, if you watch this commercial just once I can almost place a wager that you won’t even remember what discounts Frank names off. The sound effects that they are making with their mouths have completely captured your attention and you can concentrate on nothing else.

This is good, because even if you think that they are stupid noises, they are still funny. It also means that Esurance Car Insurance has done their marketing job as you will tell your friends about the funny commercial from them with the dumb mouth sound effects.

I am giving this Esurance Car Insurance commercial a thumbs up.

The General Auto Insurance plays to the technology fans and tries to score a touchdown by advertising a very low insurance premium.

Summary

Commercial opens with a computer animated general in a football uniform (complete with 5 stars on his football helmet). He is throwing a football and at the bottom of the screen is the phone number and web address to contact The General Auto Insurance.

Announcer: The General scores again and again with super low monthly payments for auto insurance.

On screen we watch the General complete one football move after another. On the screen the “Monthly Payment As Low As $39” shows. The screen changes to a penguin in a Ref uniform with “No Personal Information Required” on the screen.

Announcer: Just go to thegeneral.com on your tablet, computer or Smartphone.

On screen we watch as the penguin and the General show examples of the different devices that you can use to contact The General Auto Insurance.

Announcer: Or call us for a fast free quote.

Screen changes to the view of an empty football stadium and field with the name, contact information, legal disclaimer for The General Auto Insurance. On screen is the “As Low As $39” once again.

Announcer: Right now you can get insured and stay insured for as little as 39 dollars a month. Find out how low your monthly payment can be and get instant proof of insurance.

The General kicks the football and makes a touchdown.

Screen changes to the General driving down the road in a sports car and more information for The General Auto Insurance is shown on screen again.

The General: For a great low rate you can get online go to The General and save some time.

Point of the Commercial

The commercial has two points that The General Auto Insurance is trying to get across. First, The General Auto Insurance is really playing up their online presence and how easy it is for someone to get a quote from them.

Second, The General Auto Insurance is playing to the low rates that they have. With the other insurance companies they point out that they can save you a certain percentage over the other companies. Rarely do you hear a company announcing what their rates start at.

What They Want you to Do

The General Auto Insurance is definitely an online type of insurance company. They are the only insurance company that I have ever seen mention using your Smartphone and tablet to contact them. Usually you only hear “visit us online” when an insurance company is encouraging online contact.

The General Auto Insurance does throw in their phone number a couple of time as well. This is more than likely for those that still do not use computers or the internet as they don’t want to leave out the potential insurance dollars of that demographic.

My Opinion

I am not a big fan of computer graphic cartoons that look like this. I guess you can blame it on the high standards that companies like Disney and DreamWorks has perched me at. I think the only thing that I do like about this insurance is that The General Auto Insurance does something new by encouraging you to contact them on your Smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, this is not enough to redeem this particular commercial from The General Auto Insurance for me.

I would give this commercial from The General Auto Insurance a thumbs down.

Elephant auto insurance is proud to announce lower rates, but only in one small area.

Summary

Commercial opens on the Elephant Auto Insurance logo and the sound of a trumpeting elephant before spokesman is shown onscreen.

Spokesman: Did you know Elephant has lowered their rates by over 30% in the past year all over southwest Virginia?

Map appears behind the spokesman of Virginia Elephant Auto Insurance coverage area with little elephant symbols popping up all over southwest Virginia as he speaks.

Spokesman: If you live in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Salem, Martinsville or the surrounding areas you could save a ton with Elephant. These great rates can’t last forever. Get a quote now at elephant.com and join the thousands of others who are already taking advantage of these amazing rate decreases and saving over 500 dollars per year.

Map disappears and Elephant Auto Insurance logo appears next to him with the phone number and the web address for the company below the logo.

Spokesman: Call or visit us online at elephant.com.

Point of the Commercial

This Elephant Auto Insurance commercial is pointblank for just southwest Virginia even though Elephant Auto Insurance writes in the whole state of Virginia, Illinois and Maryland also. So something has happened in southwest Virginia that Elephant Auto Insurance was able to decrease the premium for this particular coverage area that they write for.

This is not unheard of though, whenever new safety statistics come out for certain areas a change in rates is seen. If the new statistics show a decrease in claims or in activity that claims are filed for, rates go down. Likewise, if there is an increase in activity for claims then the rates go up. Elephant Auto Insurance must have received new stats and refigured their rates to be able to do this.

What They Want you to Do

For the residents of southwest Virginia that have gotten quotes from Elephant Auto Insurance before, they are indirectly letting them know that if they call for a quote now the premium may be lower. For the other residents in this area, they are throwing the bait out there to get their interest in calling Elephant Auto Insurance for a quote. The others are going to want to check if Elephant Auto Insurance is now cheaper than their car insurance with this new rate decrease.

My Opinion

I personally have never heard of Elephant AutoInsurance as I do not live in the area that they write insurance for. I do like the Elephant Auto Insurance logo and the memory tricks that they use in their otherwise boring commercial.

The elephant is something new and catches your attention if you have never seen it and it is a mascot to associate with this company (visual memory). The elephant trumpeting is not something you usually hear for a car insurance commercial (audio memory) and their telephone number (877-21-trunk) associates their mascot and their number together to make it easier to remember Elephant Auto Insurance.

Even though I think the Elephant Auto Insurance commercial is boring, it does its job to get you to both remember the company and attract the attention of the residents in this area. I have to give this particular Elephant Auto Insurance commercial a thumbs up.