Jerry’s State of Regret – State Farm® Video
An interesting accident makes former State Farm client, Jerry, regret that he switched to a company that has no agents to help him – Video
Summary
Commercial opens with State Farm agent Jessica DeClercq answering the phone in her agency from a former client of hers, Jerry Newman. On the screen are the words “State of Regret”. We see Jerry through the windshield of a vehicle and he tells Jessica that he has a policy question. The screen shot is fast, but we see that the steering wheel of the vehicle is at an angle that just doesn’t look right.
Jessica greets Jerry and asks, “How are you doing?”
Screen changes back to Jerry and we see why that steering wheel looked a little funny in the last shot with Jerry. Jerry tells Jessica that he is “Fine” and that he has just had a little “Fender Bender”. We see that Jerry’s vehicle is nose down and the back of the car is in the air, leaning on a pole.
Jessica tells Jerry, “I’m so sorry, I would love to help, but you dropped us last month.”
Jerry responds with regret in his voice that it only took 15 minutes to switch to that “other” insurance company, but that it is now taking longer for them to respond to him.
Jessica asks Jerry, “Is your car up a pole again.”
Jerry breaks down in tears that he misses his agent Jessica, but won’t admit to crying.
Commercial ends with the words “Jerry. Jerry. Jerry. Should’ve Stayed With State Farm” on the screen and then “get to a better State”.
Announcer: “Get to a better state. State Farm”
Point of the Commercial
The whole 15 minutes comment gives away that the other insurance company is GEICO. State Farm is trying to make the point that you may save money in 15 minutes by switching to GEICO, but you aren’t going to have a local agent to help you. When it comes to when you really need help, you are going to regret leaving your agent.
What They Want you to Do
If you are still with State Farm, they don’t want you to leave for the possibly cheaper rates at GEICO. If you have already left State Farm, they are trying to get you to come back by showing you how much you are going to miss your agent when you really need them.
My Opinion
Okay, in all the years that I worked in insurance claims, I have never heard of a person doing this. Whoever came up with the idea for this claim has a great imagination.
I also like the creativity and playing the “no agent to help you when you buy insurance directly from the company” card angle that State Farm took. Thumbs Up.
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Reviews (20)
Tim
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Not a likely accident scenario? Anyone see the Memphis PD story on the news??? Police car up a pole. True story.
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Paula
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Our recent experience with State Farm makes me want to sue them for false advertising every time I see this commercial. And frankly, our agent is no Jessica. All we got was messages taken and never a call back from the actual agent. Oh well, live & learn!!
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Richard
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These spots are certainly amusing, and they’re well cast. However, I have to agree with those who fault the incredibility of the scenario.
You are right; the logic makes sense, as Jerry did leave State Farm for Geico. But, because of the scenario (i.e. Jerry continually running into walls and buildings), Jessica’s line – “but Jerry, you left US” – strikes us as incredulous because everyone knows it’s the insurance company that drops US when these sorts of things happen – not the other way around! So even though the spot tracks logically, it’s hard to get past this little logical hiccup. I have to wonder how many watching these spots stop and ask themselves “hey wait a minute… Jerry left THEM?!?” And when that thought occurs, the point of the spot is kinda overshadowed.
Just my 2¢,
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Michele Griffin
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Excellent point Richard, thank you for pointing that out! I never even thought about that as I was to busy analyzing the point that State Farm was making in the commercial.
I think that what you pointed out is worth more than 2 cents, thank you again.
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Lynnette
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Is it the same actor in the latest commercial, as he looks skinnier and different???
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Michele Griffin
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Yes, it is the same actor in all of the Jerry commercials. His name is Roy Jenkins.
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Joe Curtin
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Something has to be done about Madison Avenue’s war on middle-aged white males. I can take the sappy Miller Lite ads, where we are portrayed as increasingly whiny morons, and the Yoplait yogurt ads, where we are too stupid to navigate a refrigerator—even the Doritos ads where we lick food crumbs from another man’s fingers, but these Horrific State Farm commercials with this Jerry Neuman must be stopped.
Here we have a deliberate male-female character contrast between the pathetic, skinny, pale, dorky, balding, middle-aged, wimpy white loser, Jerry Neuman and the “hot,” confident, witty, strong, intellectual white female insurance agent, “Jessica.” Jerry can’t drive and can’t choose an insurance agent.
You think this is a non-issue? Do me a favor…think of the last time you saw a strong, confident middle-aged white male portrayed in a commercial and get back to me.
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Michele Griffin
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Again, completely missed the point of the whole commercial. State Farm is making the point that if you are enticed by the money savings that the direct insurance companies offer that you will be out of an agent. I am sure that they didn’t set out to emasculate men, but instead were trying to make a funny commercial.
Honestly, if Jerry’s character wasn’t the way he was, it wouldn’t make any sense that he backed up a light pole. Instead, we have an airhead male (which may I remind you women have been cast as since the beginning of television) that did a silly thing and now needs insurance coverage and the support of his agent; which he no longer has.
It is funny, people remember it and right now we are giving State Farm a whole lot of free publicity because we are having this conversation – I guess the commercial worked then.
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Bill L
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Annoying and I’m sick of seeing this commercial!
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Michele Griffin
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They have been running this one for quite a bit now. Makes you wonder if they keep running it because they are getting a good response from it though.
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John Higgins
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Jerry is an idiot for having two accidents…and would someone please explain to me how Jerry can drive into a building and have no front end damage?
Also Jerry is clueless thinking he can go back to State Farm with two new accidents and either save money or have them as an insurance company. Clearly this guy is a disaster walking. Any insurance company would run when he applies and point him to like Progressive which will truly charge him higher premiums.
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Michele Griffin
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Just like I have to tell my mother during a movie, “It’s only a movie, it’s not real.” Jerry’s accident is supposed to be funny, not realistic. Whether or not they take him back is less of the point that they are making as compared to him missing the service provided by his agent.
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Gord
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The fact that state farm even made this commercial with the “15 minute” reference to Geico tells me that they are losing customers in droves to their rival. Otherwise why even make it?
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Michele Griffin
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I would have to agree with you, but State Farm isn’t the only one targeting Geico in their commercials. This means that a lot of the insurance companies are feeling the client loss from the gecko.
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Ruthie
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Oh, puh-leeze!!!!! This commercial works because its funny!!! These “Jerry Neuman” ads are the funniest new insurance commercials we’ve seen in awhile. The two I’ve seen are like mini sitcoms. Realistic? Who cares?
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Jack
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You miss the point entirely … the point is, Jerry is retarded and shouldn’t be allowed near anything with wheels.
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Michele Griffin
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No one is saying that Jerry is the smartest driver in the world, but the point of this piece is not to rate Jerry’s driving. It is to analyze State Farm and the commercial itself.
You are right though, I wouldn’t let Jerry near my car.
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mike
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This commercial is stupid. First if this guy has had a car up a pole before then State Farm would have cancelled him not the other way around. And you don’t call your insurance agent from the scene you call the police but even if you did, why call a company you dropped? State Farm cancelled most of the property insurance in my state and have heard horror stories about them. Give me Geico over state farm any day.
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Fred
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You don’t call your agent when you have an accident. You call the claims division and give an initial loss report, then an adjuster calls you back. Unrealistic.
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Michele Griffin
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You can still report claims to your State Farm agent.
It may be preferable to the company and agent that you report the claim on http://www.statefarm.com (or call the claims department) to save the parties involved time and money. It would also save you time as the agent is just going to turn around and report the same information directly to the company.
But, if you feel more comfortable talking to your agent directly it is best to report the claim to them. Which is what State Farm is using to show why they are better than an insurance company you buy coverage directly from.
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