I enjoy all of the characters that some insurance companies have developed over the past few years to promote their brands. But what I find curious about them is that they often times have no connection to insurance. I love the Gecko as much as the next guy. But what does a talking lizard have to do with auto insurance? The same with Aflac’s talking duck and Progressive’s Flo. Clever as they may be, these characters just seem out of place selling insurance. Look, Snoopy is the Fonz of dogs, but I don’t think about life insurance when I see him on the Met Life blimp.

Surely there are some characters that insurers could be using to sell their policies that make more sense. Wouldn’t it make more sense to use characters whose appearance actually have a connection to the insurance policy that they are trying to sell. Take an insurer trying to sell high level excess policies. If I saw the Jolly Green Giant I would definitely think to myself – You know, maybe I should buy coverage excess of $50 million. And who better to sell the $1 million primary policy in that new $100 million tower? The Oomph Loompahs of course. And what about a mascot for car insurance that actually has something to do with cars? Kitt from Night Rider probably isn’t too busy these days. Give him something more to do than just sitting around Hoff’s driveway. Pet insurance? So obvious. Scooby Doo. And you could get him for practically nothing. He would take payment in Scooby Snacks. Fire insurance policies? I can see Smokey the Bear telling you not to play with matches. But, if your house should still happen to burn down, be safe and have a policy from Fire Mutual. If Goofy can’t sell professional liability policies, who can? And if you are trying to sell pollution liability policies there could be no better spokesperson than a guy who has spent his entire life in a trash can. Get me Oscar the Grouch on the line.

That’s my time.

I’m Randy Spencer.

Contact Randy Spencer at Randy.Spencer@coverageopinions.info