Juaquin.

 

To be clear, I am an easy laugh. 

I like to think I don't laugh at dumb, schmaltzy shit, but for the most part it doesn't take much to make me laugh. This blog is the best proof of that. I will often find myself rereading what I just wrote and then have to pull myself out of a fit of laughter. 

My wife and daughters will attest to that.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's in his office laughing at his own shit again."

All that said, I am unapologetically a fan of the Progressive Insurance commercials, where Dr. Rick coaches a bunch of 30-50 year olds who are slowly becoming their parents. Maybe because as a 44 year old, I too have slipped into some of the habits they mock.

As an advertising message I have no idea how any of this will get me to consider Progressive Insurance. I've been with Allstate and my responsive Allstate agent Larry Goldberg in Santa Monica (you're welcome Larry, Happy New Year) for many many years. And there isn't a thing in the world that would make me go through the tzuris of switching. 

The paperwork, the phone calls and the fear of the unknown preclude all that. Just as I would never switch where I bank, even after repeatedly getting boned in the butt by the thieving imbeciles of Wells Fargo, who just last week uncashed a paycheck because it was made out to Richard and not Rich.

Fuck Wells Fargo.

But as a piece of TV entertainment that I cannot avoid watching during the broadcast of a live football game, these new Progressive spots are the tits. Do people still say that? Or am I going to get letters and nasty comments from my 3 woke readers?

If you watched any college football or even the pro games broadcast last weekend, you have no doubt seen these. They are so well written and so well acted they bear a repeated viewing.

Here's the 45 second version.

I particularly like the 15 second addendum to the spot that you won't see on TV. 

Why? Because it uses that additional time in a highly organic manner, that surprises and rewards the viewer. Moreover it does it in a way that avoids the pimping and the hard sell. Clients need to learn the concept of restraint and the soft sell.

Ok, this post didn't have me laughing at my own writing. But this line from the spot kills me. Kills me.:

"Juaquin."

Go back and watch the video again.