Watch these:

Now watch these:

I hate GEICO’s advertising. I love Traveler’s advertising. What’s the difference? Both of these are insurance companies. Both ads are trying to sell you insurance. So why do I hate one while loving the other? Because of the statement that each is making with their campaigns.

Now, GEICO does do a good job of drilling two catch phrases into your brain. “15 minutes could save you 15% or more.” And, “So easy a caveman can do it.” What does this mean? It mean’s you should get insurance with GEICO because it will save you money and it isn’t complicated. They are cheap and easy. They are saying, “Look, you’re probably the kind of person who is only getting insurance because you are required to by law. So go with us, we can give you the cheapest price on the absolute least coverage available.” The advertising reinforces this with simple straight forward shots and no attempt to go beyond presentation of the pitch.

Travelers on the other hand, I love. Traveler’s slogan “Insurance. In-synch.” is certainly a little more esoteric, but it also is telling you that they are trying to offer something more. Watch these ads, they aren’t about money or the simplicity of their website. They are making a statement about security. They are saying, “Look, why do you really get insurance? You can go get whatever cheap, cut-rate option you can find and then get frustrated with your coverage or when trying to make a claim. Or you can go with us. A company who’s got you covered. We want you to live life worry free and we want you to dream big, knowing we’ve got your back in the event something bad happens.” The advertisements reinforce this beautifully with great writing, great camera work, and all round high production quality. These commercials are filmed by someone who has an eye for storytelling and film. They know how to use the medium to communicate a powerful message in less than 60 seconds. Again, this is a company that clearly values doing things right over doing things cheap. This is a company I want on my side.

So what do you think? Would you choose a product because of the quality of the advertising and the statement it makes or will you always just choose the cheapest option available?

By the way/Disclaimer: I requested a quote from both Traveler’s and GEICO. Granted no two insurance companies offer quite the same package, but for roughly comparable service Traveler’s appears to be a few dollars cheaper. Currently I have my car insurance through Costco but I’m going to take another look at Traveler’s tonight because it’s about the same as what I currently pay through Costco but the coverage with Traveler’s is actually way better.

Filed under: life by Jonathan