State Farm and Disney partner up to plug both their products.

Summary

Commercial opens with Mater and Lightning McQueen rolling down the red carpet at the world premiere of the movie Cars (Disney/Pixar). The red carpet is lined with other cars photographing the two celebrities.

Lightning McQueen: So Mater, now that you are a big star you’re going to need an agent.

Mater: Yea McQueen, to get me into all them big parties and find me a shack in the hills and……..

Photographer takes Mater’s picture right in front of him and the flash startles Mater. He throws into reverse, hits a pole and the “Cars’ World Premiere” sign falls down on top of him.

Mater (yelling): Hey, I can’t see!

Mater takes off erratically and his tow cable shoots up in the air and hooks a lamp post. The cable tightens and Mater is lifted into the air, dangling in front of a State Farm insurance office. McQueen rolls up to the dangling Mater.

Lightning McQueen: Actually you need a different kind of agent; maybe a good neighbor.

McQueen glances at the State Farm agent window and the screen goes to the State Farm logo.

Announcer: Call a State Farm agent and get the good neighbor service you can count on-anytime, anywhere. And check out Cars the new Disney Pixar film, only in theaters.

Screen goes back to Mater and McQueen, with Mater still in the air.

Mater: I feel better already.

Screen pans quickly to the State Farm agent window to close the commercial.

Point of the Commercial

Okay, I have written quite a few of these insurance commercial breakdowns now and I know what I believe the point of the commercial is.

But, now it’s your turn. What do you think the point of this commercial is?

Think deeper than “To advertise State Farm”. There are some hints given in the rest of this post.

What They Want you to Do

They want you to laugh. I know that this sounds silly, but laughter instills a feeling of goodwill towards the item that you are laughing about. Many people that watch this commercial will have a more positive feeling about State Farm as compared to what they may have felt before seeing it.

They also want you to contact a State Farm agent, of course.

My Opinion

Love it! I’m a huge Disney fan anyway, so State Farm has already appealed to me on that level. I also found the play in words (agent) to be a very smart basis of the commercial. The best part was that it wasn’t done campy like so many of the cartoon commercials can get.

Giving this one a thumbs up.

Car insurance comparison is a lot like shopping for apples; just make sure that there are no oranges in the group though.

If you are doing some car insurance comparison, make sure you are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.

You have called around to different insurance companies and agencies, and now have a pile of car insurance quotes in front of you. So, what do you do now?

Now it’s time to do your car insurance comparison.

Car Insurance Comparison the Same Coverage

When you called around for insurance quotes you should have asked for quotes on the same coverage. For example, if you got a quote from company A for collision coverage with a $500 deductible, you should have asked every company that you got a quote from for a quote on collision coverage with a $500 deductible.

If you go through and find that some of the coverages don’t match, you need to call those companies back. It may seem like a hassle, but without prices for the same coverage you won’t have an accurate car insurance comparison of who has the best price.

Don’t worry about the insurance companies not having the same coverages for your car insurance comparison either. Insurance is regulated by the state and most insurance companies sell the exact same coverage. The only difference in insurance policies is the company itself.

Car Insurance Comparison Different Perks

Unless you have managed to completely tune out car insurance commercials, you know that car insurance companies know that people are doing more car insurance comparison. So, they try to make themselves standout and offer new perks that the other companies don’t.

Some of the perks they offer are worthless, and others are valuable enough to make you consider switching to them if the price is right. These perks are something that you need to take into account during your car insurance comparison.

For example, say that you get a quote from two insurance companies and the price is very similar. However, one of the companies offers free road side assistance with their policies. Obviously the company that offers the free roadside assistance is going to be the better value.

Car Insurance Comparison Company Reliability

Company reliability is one of the categories that people never check when they are doing a car insurance comparison. But, what happens if you have a claim and your insurance company doesn’t pay? What was the point of paying them all of that insurance premium and choosing them just because they were the lowest price?

You can find out what insurance companies have the reputation of making it difficult on their clients when there is a claim by checking the company out. You can do this by contacting the Better Business Bureau, different consumer groups, customer review sites and business magazines that rate the performance of insurance companies.

Companies such as J.D. Power and Associates has a very extensive rating criteria for insurance companies and each year they list which company is the best; including in the claims department and customer service. They also list which ones are the worst in claims and customer service. Both of which would be good information to have especially when you have narrowed down your car insurance comparison to two companies that otherwise seem similar.

All of the coverage needed to be in compliance with Oregon car insurance laws falls just short of having to buy the kitchen sink as well.

Partial compliance with Oregon car insurance laws won’t keep you out of trouble.

Some states have really, low liability limits required to be able to drive; limits so low that they don’t cost very much and don’t cover very much. Then there are other states that require almost a full policy in to be in place.

Oregon is one of these other states; they require so much coverage that the only thing missing is the comprehensive and collision coverage. Don’t think that you can get away with only having the liability insurance either, Oregon car insurance law requires it all or it’s not enough.

What’s All Required for Oregon Car Insurance

To start, liability is of course one of the required coverages. Bodily injury is set at the minimum requirement of $25,000 per person and $50,000 total per accident. Property damage liability can be no lower than $20,000.

Beyond liability coverage, Oregon car insurance requires Personal injury protection (PIP) at no less than $15,000. Uninsured motorist (UM) is also required for Oregon car insurance with the minimum limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury only.

Watch Your Car Get Towed Away Without Oregon Car Insurance

If you are caught without Oregon car insurance your vehicle could be towed away. Towing your car is just one of the many things that can happen to you for driving without Oregon car insurance. You can also be subject to:

• Fines

• License suspension

• Towing and storage fees

• Having to carry SR-22 insurance for 3 years

The extent of your punishment for not having Oregon car insurance depends on the policy officer and the judge involved in your violation.

Oregon Car Insurance is Checked and Double Checked

Your compliance with Oregon car insurance requirements is checked every time you register your vehicle. Without proof of Oregon car insurance you will not be allowed to register your vehicle in Oregon. Oregon also randomly selects vehicle owners to check Oregon car insurance compliance every month. Once you are selected you will be sent a letter that you are required to respond to.

If you chose to ignore the letter and fail to respond to the random compliance it will result in license suspension. If you lie and the insurance company you claim to have insurance with says you don’t, you will be required to carry SR-22 insurance for 3 years. SR-22 insurance is high-risk insurance that cost much more than regular insurance. If you fail to get this insurance your license is suspended.

In summary:

No insurance=license suspension

Ignoring an Oregon car insurance verification=license suspension

Lying about having insurance=paying much more for SR-22 insurance

Not getting the SR-22 insurance=license suspension

Oregon requires a lot of insurance to be maintained on your vehicle, but the alternatives are much worse. Stick with the cheaper option of just keeping your Oregon car insurance current and keep out of legal trouble with the state.

Wawanesa Insurance thinks that they are “wow” worthy.

Summary

Commercial opens in a coffee shop with people walking around and sitting at tables with laptops. The first thing we see is a flyer for Wawanesa Insurance in the hands of a woman.

Announcer: When people compare Wawanesa’s 24/7 service and low rates with other insurance companies, they can only say…

Woman sitting with laptop: Wow!

Announcer: Because Wawanesa thinks people shouldn’t settle on saving just 15% on their car insurance; when they could be saving even more. Which makes Wawanesa one of the fastest growing insurance companies in California.

Man watching his phone and not where he is walking, walks right into the women’s restroom.

Off Camera Voice: Wow!

Screen goes to blue with the Wawanesa logo and “Better Service”, “Lower Rates” and “Dependable Coverage” on

Announcer: Wow! Wawanesa; Better service, lower rates and dependable coverage for your auto home or condo is a great value.

Point of the Commercial

Wawanesa Insurance is promoting two things in this commercial; their 24/7 service center and also their low rates. Having 24/7 service is something that not all insurance companies have and it may help them stand out. However, they are not specific as to what type of service. Is it 24/7 claims service (not so uncommon) or 24/7 policy service (less common)?

All insurance companies claim that they have low rates, but the jab that Wawanesa Insurance takes at Geico specifically is pretty obvious. It may be worth a call to both insurance companies just to see if they really can save you more than 15% from your old insurance and come in lower than Geico does.

What They Want you to Do

Wawanesa Insurance leaves the ending wide open and doesn’t ask for any action. There is no indication on how you can get a quote from them. Do you call them directly, visit a website or do you have to find an agent? At this point inaction from the viewer is going to be the only action that they get.

My Opinion

The only part of this whole commercial that I like is the guy walking into the women’s bathroom because he is so distracted by Wawanesa Insurance. But, honestly even that scene isn’t all that funny.

There is too much going on, nothing makes the company stand out and there is no information as to how they can be contacted. Not really a good commercial for entertainment value or most importantly to attract new clients.

I give it a thumbs down.

Ohio car insurance requirements don’t even come near what you would need to be adequately protected.

To get the insurance protection you need, purchase more than the required Ohio car insurance limits.

Even the State of Ohio admits that its required liability limits are too low to be effective and recommends that you purchase higher insurance. When the state recommends that, you may want to pay attention.

Regardless though, to be able to drive or allow anyone else to drive your vehicle there are certain minimum Ohio car insurance coverage limits that you have to have. So even if you aren’t carrying limits that would adequately protect you as the state recommends, at least carry the minimum limits.

Ohio Car Insurance Requirements

Ohio car insurance requirements include $12,500 liability coverage for the injury or death of a single person and $25,000 liability total coverage for the injury or death of two or more people. Property damage liability coverage is at the low requirement of $7,500. Do you understand now why state authorities recommend that you buy higher coverage limits than is required by Ohio Car insurance law?

Alternatives to Ohio Car Insurance

If you would prefer not to purchase Ohio car insurance, the state does have alternative options for you. You can provide proof that you have a $30,000 bond set aside for a potential car accident. Deposit $30,000 in money or bonds with the Ohio Treasurer. Lastly, you can file a certificate bond for $30,000 that is signed by at least two people that hold real estate with an equity value of a minimum amount of $60,000.

How the State Verifies Ohio Car Insurance

The state verifies that you have Ohio car insurance at random through letters mailed out to registered vehicle owners. Per the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles they mail out 5,400 notices every week. The letter requests that the owner of the vehicle submit proof of insurance for a specific date within 21 days.

If there was no insurance, proof of why the vehicle is exempt from insurance must be provided. Including:

• The vehicle was not being used at the time as it is only used seasonally.

• The vehicle is not able to be driven due to mechanic trouble.

Penalties for not Carrying Ohio Car Insurance

Like with every other state, having no Ohio car insurance is a violation of the law and carries penalties with it. The first time you get caught without Ohio car insurance your driver’s license is suspended for at least 90 days (up to 2 years). Your license plate and registration for your vehicle is also suspended at this time.

Once you have served your suspension, you have to pay a license plate reinstatement fee and also carry SR-22 insurance with your car insurance for at least 3 years (up to 5 years). There are also additional fees you will be charged for not surrendering your driver’s license, license plates and registration.

If you keep driving without Ohio car insurance, the state will not only suspend your vehicle registration for 5 years, they will also just take away your car.