Reading Response #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkzVVYJggi4


The Progressive Car Insurance commercial will have you wanting to buy thousands of dollars worth of toys in just less than a minute.

As the commercial begins, a man and his girlfriend/wife are about to pay for several different kinds of insurance for not only a car, but a boat, an R.V., and a motorcycle. While the couple is putting their items on the counter, the lady mentions to the man that they do not own a boat, R.V., or motorcycle and yet they are buying insurance for them. The man tenses up and looks towards Flo, the worldwide known spokesperson for Progressive Insurance, and tells Flo that they do own those things now. Flo looks confused but continues by exclaiming, "Suprise!" acting as if she knew what the man was talking about. Flo looks over to the lady with the man and the lady just stares back into the eyes of Flo with an angry expression and the couple purchases the several different types of insurance.

This commercial provides a lot of information. First off, it shows that Progressive Insurance covers several different types of automotives- such as motorcycles, R.V.'s, and boats-providing a more efficient company to deal with. Also, the commercial shows that Progressive Insurance is affordable. So affordable that getting the insurance gives motivation for buying extremely expensive things-this is hinted at when the woman with the man notices they do not yet own an boat, motorcycle, or R.V., but they are still buying insurance for them.

We have come to realize that having expensive items gives us a certain image making us seem superior to people who do not have the nice and expensive things as we do. Also, that the economy today is in a horrible state so there is not much money to go around. Overall, this ad is expresses the fact that buying new expensive things makes us seem superior to others even though there is very little money in circulation. Therefore, going through certain companies, such as Progressive Insurance, buying expensive things is less expensive and more efficient resulting in superiority.