I didn’t want to like her at first. Her exaggerated hairstyle, makeup, and enthusiasm were too much to bear in a 30 second spot. The antiseptic white, dream-like “superstore” she inhabited and teased crown screamed to me: “I’m from another era – one in which you could trust people!” Meanwhile her Chuck Taylors whispered seductively: “Do you like Death Cab, or are you older and more into Pavement?” It seemed righteous for me to find the Progressive Insurance “Flo” commercials stupid, annoying, and manipulative. But, Flo grew on me, and like many others (
check her Facebook page) I fell hard.
It was cute when Flo inadvertently made fun of a man purse. (The “Shopping with Flo” spot, more appropriately referred to as the “European Shoulder Bag” spot.)
I was more charmed when I found out she rode a really big motorcycle.
Upon research, I found I was not alone. According to an article by Chris Garcia on austin360.com, internet admirers have referred to her as “that babelicious brunette” and admitted “She’s weird but, God, she’s fine!” I checked in my own reality space, and my bartending male friends offered “rather attractive”, “Grade ‘A’ Babe”, and “I tried to find out who she was online.” (Stephanie Courtney is the actress’s name.) Another bar patron acted embarrassed when I suggested he might find her sexy, but conceded that she was funny.
As my admiration of Flo’s character grew, I began to take her message to heart. Said message was about what Progressive offers and how great their pricing is. The superstore Flo works in mimics their website and the ease of purchasing their product, and I felt very smart for already having been a customer for several years. When Flo first came on the scene, the biggest insurance pushers on the airwaves were the Geico cavemen. With great popularity, the hairy Cro-Magnons sold a cute tagline (“So easy, a caveman could do it.”) with hip, gimmicky humor and a tongue-in-cheek soundtrack, all unrelated to insurance.
I’m not saying I don’t love the cavemen motorcycle insurance spot but to its contrary, Flo is simply a likeable pitchwoman who delivers a message with a couple jokes thrown in via her “kissable red, red lips.” (Garcia, October 20, 2008) During a Progressive commercial, you might not be laughing quite as much as you did with the cavemen, but you’ll know something about what Flo’s selling.
In this age of “Avatar” and “Star Wars” sequels, I appreciate the simple delivery of an advertiser’s message through a great idea and strong ambassador – but not necessarily a green screen and hours of rendering. My other favorite commercials are for FreeCreditReport.com. I feel like a new movie featuring my favorite star has been released when they air a new spot. Though the three man band cast never changes, the ludicrous venue does (Renaissance Faire anyone?).
The hero of FreeCreditReport.com has a heartthrob level following much like Flo’s. My favorite quote, from Helen A.S. Popkin on msnbc.com, sums up his appeal: “A troubadour of the American masses, his songs reflect the far-reaching effects of the housing crisis, predatory lending, skyrocketing gas prices and the economic downturn...” Don’t get bummed out when I tell you that our troubadour is actually a Canadian named Eric Violette, and that according to him, credit scores don’t “carry the frightening weight in Canada” like they do in the U.S.A. (Popkin, August 2008)
Accident forgiveness started to mean something to me in the midst of my Flo phase. I had never thought much about my auto coverage except that it was useless when my parked car was hit in the grocery parking lot and the jerk didn’t leave a note. Reality bit on a cold winter night with an accident in rush hour traffic, totaled car, and careless driving citation. In the aftermath, the introduction form emails sent to me by various representatives of Progressive were so perfectly crafted that they resonated as personal letters of sympathy. Everyone I dealt with exhibited the demeanor of a trained grief counselor. When I was overcome with the gravity of what I had caused, my Progressive claims representative repeated this phrase: “We’re here to help.” Gosh darn it, I believed her, I believed Flo loves insurance, and I was incredibly happy with my experience! The advertising was seamless from the TV commercial to the consumer – me. Oddly, I could swear that Flo used the “We’re here to help” line in her commercials, though I can’t find one in which she says it. I guess I just imagine I’m talking to Flo when I call the 800 number.
The FreeCreditReport.com spots had contributed to a 20% increase in website traffic and memberships after less than a year on the air (Popkin, August 2008), and it’s no surprise when such an appealing pitchman sings his message about why the service is valuable. Who wants their posse to be laughed at? Interestingly, these commercials are the brain spawn of the same creative team that brought us the Geico cavemen. The Martin Agency has done a better job at selling me a technically not free credit report than switching me from Progressive to Geico. Though my credit isn’t wack (phew), I’m always waiting for a new installment in the slacker’s drama, and hope that this lengthy recession will assure me he doesn’t quit the band and get a “real” job anytime soon. If I ever do need to know what Experian thinks of me, FreeCreditReport.com will be my first click. Hooray for art!
Katie Jewett
Sources
“The strange allure of the Progressive insurance girl: What makes normal people fall so hard for the cute and perky pitchwoman known as ‘Flo’?” (Chris Garcia, October 20, 2008)
http://www.austin360.com/tv/content/tv/stories/2008/10/1020progressive.html
“Sing it, FreeCreditReport.com guy!” (Helen A.S. Popkin, August 7, 2008)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26061279/
“Progressive Corp.’s Flo takes on Geico’s gecko in pitch for insurance customers” (Shaheen Smavati, The Plain Dealer, September 7, 2009)
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/09/progressives_flo_takes_on_geik.html