Creepy insurance commercials

Has anyone noticed the trend of vaguely creepy insurance commercials in the past few years?

First, there's Progressive. Which radiates so many bad vibes from the TV screen I actually cringe every time one of their commercials are on.

Now I keep seeing this car insurance commercial where the helicopter is following this person in their car like it's cool and perfectly normal.

You have to remember though that the helicopter wasn't meant for surveilance, it was a parody on dangerous car chase situations. Notice how the commentary is how turns are executed perfectly, he safely traveled through the tunnel, etc. It's a parody showing his safe driving skills versus the normal reasons there is a helicopter following a car on the freeway which is usually for a police chase or terrible accident.

As for Progressive, the only one I find mildly the least bit creepy is the newest one where they are singing but beyond that, no I do not find them creepy. Normally it's a stop and shop situation which is how they want you to feel whenever you visit their webpage. Stopping and shopping and finding supposedly what you think you need right away for lower rates.

I believe most commercials to be creepy... particularly the fake plastic smiles plastered to the faces of the actors and actresses give me the heebie jeebies!

reply to post by BrianFlanders
Not creepy really, but my all time favorite insurance commercial:

Originally posted by Myomistress
You have to remember though that the helicopter wasn't meant for surveilance, it was a parody on dangerous car chase situations.

Actually, that's one of the main reasons why I find it to be so creepy. It was obviously meant to be ambiguous enough that it could be interpreted either way (I don't believe for a second that advertising agencies are not smart enough to know how things might be interpreted). I believe this is how they get inside people's heads. By making their propaganda subtle and even funny. Or at least you might think it's funny if you don't take it seriously that these people just might be trying to acclimate people to a surveillance environment.

It occurs to me that surveillance conducted by insurance companies (such as that "Snapshot" thing) could be quite useful to a surveillance state. Especially when insurance is mandatory.

reply to post by littled16



That commercial is hilarious!

reply to post by BrianFlanders

Creepy is right. You see it creeping across the gamut of commercialism. The government gets its dig. Don't mind the sound of helos (or drones) overhead. Don't mind paying out the nose for a "product" (called insurance) that really isn't a product but an extortion of your hard earned dollar to keep stuff from happening... oh wait, stuff still happens... and we don't cover that, and that and only part of that... did you hear about the 500 dollar deductible?

And especially don't mind the personages we bomb you with like plastic Flo and Computer Gecko (Geico). We figure if we pop Flo into your head umpteen times a day, you'll just naturally get to like her. You liked the lizard, right?

I hate Flo. She's like an ex girlfriend that no one likes and won't stop calling. Oh, its Flo again...

Hi (Cash) Flo! Who's money are you stealing today?

reply to post by BrianFlanders

Actually, that's one of the main reasons why I find it to be so creepy. It was obviously meant to be ambiguous enough that it could be interpreted either way (I don't believe for a second that advertising agencies are not smart enough to know how things might be interpreted)

Not only commercials but it seems every other show is a show about cops. Drama cops, forensic cops, chase cops, Ex cops, Drug cops and cops in jail.

Watch you gonna do when they cavity search you, bad boys, bad boys.

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by BrianFlanders

 

Creepy is right. You see it creeping across the gamut of commercialism. The government gets its dig. Don't mind the sound of helos (or drones) overhead. Don't mind paying out the nose for a "product" (called insurance) that really isn't a product but an extortion of your hard earned dollar to keep stuff from happening

That's exactly the way I see mandatory insurance. Extortion. I don't know how anyone can see it any other way.

Originally posted by intrptr
reply to post by BrianFlanders

 

Actually, that's one of the main reasons why I find it to be so creepy. It was obviously meant to be ambiguous enough that it could be interpreted either way (I don't believe for a second that advertising agencies are not smart enough to know how things might be interpreted)

Not only commercials but it seems every other show is a show about cops. Drama cops, forensic cops, chase cops, Ex cops, Drug cops and cops in jail.

Watch you gonna do when they cavity search you, bad boys, bad boys.

Yeah. That's ultra creepy. All the cop shows. I guess there was a time when it might have seemed kind of harmless (CHiPs) but they're getting much more brazen with their themes and stories in the new cop shows.

I wonder how many people have actually noticed that the entire world seems to revolve around cops when they turn on their TV. How can that not seem a little bizarre?

reply to post by BrianFlanders

That's exactly the way I see mandatory insurance. Extortion. I don't know how anyone can see it any other way.

Legal extortion. It used to be a crime. They called it the Protection rackets. Thats where some gang claimed dominion over a neighborhood and they charged all the businesses therein "protection" money. If the hapless business paid up, the gangs made sure they weren't robbed by anyone else. If they didn't, something might "happen".

Of course it got out of hand. The gangs would raise their fees, demand free goods and services, run up tabs and abuse clients.

What a racket.

ETA: Who hasn't seen the movie Good Fellas?

Protection

Whats the threat today if you are driving without insurance? The police will take your car. You may have to go to court and pay fines. The legal extortion racket called Insurance is state sanctioned and your taxes pay the police salary to enforce punishment if you don't keep up your "protection" payments!

reply to post by littled16


Yeah, I agree with all the posters here about insurance being state-supported extortion. But I couldn't resist posting my own Allstate favorite:

reply to post by Ex_CT2
You just gotta love the "Mayhem"!

Progressive seems to have more suspicious ads than any other insurance company I would never trust them. Allstate seems to present themselves as the all around best. I'm not sure about other insurance companies.

How weird....we were just joking how creepy this commercial is.......



As for Flo.....I've seen her in a few small parts in horror type movies.......her eyes can be really creepy in a beautifully strange sorta way....I tried to find some clips and didn't find anything....but her name is Stephanie Courtney, and she started out in stand-up comedy and is also some kind of "fetish" internet sensation now.....

Originally posted by MountainLaurel
How weird....we were just joking how creepy this commercial is.......

That one creeps me out a bit too.

As for Flo.....I've seen her in a few small parts in horror type movies.......her eyes can be really creepy in a beautifully strange sorta way....I tried to find some clips and didn't find anything....but her name is Stephanie Courtney, and she started out in stand-up comedy and is also some kind of "fetish" internet sensation now.....

Well, for me, "Flo" is really just the packaging. She's a distraction.

what really creeps me out about Progressive is the name. Obviously, they are making no secret of their political proclivities. An insurance company with a liberal disposition in these times is just disturbing. Add details like their little "Snapshot" device and it's enough to make your hair stand on end.

This is supposed to be funny, but it is too true as well



I have a friend who works for Progressive and she hates it. She describes the above video as pretty much her job experiance daily.

My FAVORITE insurance commercial:



Anyhow, I dont see insurance as a racket or extortion. You whine and bitch that you have to PAY it, yet when someone slams into your car and has NO insurance, you whine and bitch that your car is wrecked, cant afford a new one, etc. You whiners will NEVER be happy

Like R Lee Ermey said: JACKWAGONS!

ps: My insurance is thru USAA

Originally posted by HomerinNC
Anyhow, I dont see insurance as a racket or extortion.

Nevertheless, this is what it is.

You whine and bitch that you have to PAY it, yet when someone slams into your car and has NO insurance, you whine and bitch that your car is wrecked, cant afford a new one, etc. You whiners will NEVER be happy

Well, it's just that the slippery slope always bites you in the ass. When you accept the car insurance argument, the health insurance argument is inevitable. Now we have the POTUS standing up on TV telling us we don't have the right to cross the street without health insurance and he's gonna fine us and call it a tax if we refuse.

I must confess that I never saw that one coming. I never liked having to pay for auto insurance but I grudgingly conceded that it was a reasonable solution for a very difficult problem (even if insurance companies are just taking advantage of the situation).

But you could not have told me ten years ago that the government was going to send the IRS after me if I didn't buy health insurance.

What is next? Mandatory employment? Government assigned jobs? Don't laugh. If you don't work, you can't buy your mandatory insurance.

Why did we get rid of the mafia, again? The liberals have always complained about the robber barons and yet they act just like them when it comes around to making their crazy ideas work.

I sort of like the creepy commercials. The Mayhem guy makes my day most of the time. Of course, it is a gimmick to get you to want insurance more. I can't stand the Flo commercials though, they are...well...pointless and annoying.