03.11.2009 - The Progressive Girl name is Flo Flair

[collegestudent22]

Most of the other companies talk about their dependability, service, etc. I wonder what that says about Geico, oh wait, I know.

Geico talks about the same things. They just use a gecko to say it. For instance, the latest Geico Gecko spot has the "boss" telling the Gecko to talk about how good customer service is because the customer can "trust" the company.

[Deacon]

I think Geico is the only insurance company I can think of that has mascots. Most of the other companies talk about their dependability, service, etc. I wonder what that says about Geico, oh wait, I know.

That they have a superior marketing department?

Also, I know I can think of the AFLAC duck that's been mentioned already. The Hartford has its elk buck. Merrill Lynch has its bull. Met Life has Snoopy. Allstate has the black guy. Is it AIG that uses what I think are gray whales? I think it is, but I could have the companies mixed up. Or is that Prudential? Anyway, the point is that, no, Geico isn't the only company that uses a mascot.

[tnitnetny]

I should change my statement to reflect what I meant, I apologize. I meant that Geico is that only company to have a walking, talking, mascot like you would have at a sporting event. I forgot about the Aflac duck, I will bow to your greatness on that one.

The black guy isn't a mascot, he is a celebrity spokesperson. He is Dennis Haysbert who was the lead actor on the Unit on CBS. Nationwide used to use an eagle as part of the logo, but then some genius (note sarcasm here) thought people didn't remember the eagle so they changed it to the blue picture frame.

When I think of a "mascot" I don't think of logos, or spokesmen; I think of how Geico annoys me every damn hockey game by having the "caveman" get the crowd excited by telling them to cheer louder.

[Deacon]

Heh, the Dennis Haysbert reference was a joke. I know who he is.

I actually do remember the blue square for Nationwide. I don't remember any eagle.

And as far as mascots go, I do get what you're saying, but things like the Hartford elk and the whales aren't just logos. They present these images in animated or live-action footage and such during their commercials. Whether that counts as a "mascot" or not, I don't know, just sayin' is all...

[Scotty]

i'd say the elk and bull are more symbols than mascots, an extension of the company's logo, mascots are characters used to give an ad some sort of punch that are supposed to have a life of their own, sure Aflac could have just used footage of a duck swimming along a river, but having a duck puppet or animated duck running around yelling "AFLAC!!!" using Gilbert Gottfried's voice make its more eyecatching and thus symbol becomes mascot. if Nationwide's logo were to suddenly grow legs and get a voice, then it'd be a mascot, and i wouldn't be suprised, Home Depot's run commercials where an orange box is commenting how home owners did such a good job saving money renovating/redecorating with home depot products and advice

[JermCool]

I think AIG should change their mascot to a black hole.

[ampersand]

The whale is Pacific Life's spokesanimal.

[collegestudent22]

I think AIG should change their mascot to a black hole.

A black hole with a picture of the Fed printing money into it....

[tnitnetny]

Oh, you haven't heard?

AIG is now 21st Century insurance! Apparently they were afraid of the stigma that is associated with the name. I know, because I broker through them. I got a great press release last week going on and on about the new name and new image. I still won't broker to them anymore. I have moved all my previous customers to other insurance carriers already.

[collegestudent22]

I still won't broker to them anymore. I have moved all my previous customers to other insurance carriers already.

In a CAPITALIST society, the company would just go bankrupt when you (and others in your position) started doing that. INSTEAD, we have our new socialist society that will prop them up indefinitely. Eventually, they just will be a money-sucking "black hole" because they won't even have any customers to actually insure.

[ampersand]

Really. How deviously sneaky of them.

[StruckingFuggle]

What do you call it, ism-wise, where ideally a government would let a company like that go bankrupt, but not before taking stands to prop it up for a definite time period to meliorate the damage of its collapse by shuffling resources around to diffuse and absorb the crash, and then withdrawing the support, letting it collapse?


Oh, of course it won't work, there'd be too many people involved, and too many people running things, be they boardsmen, shareholders, committees, governments, will muck up any organization, governmental, social, or business. But in principle...?

[Deacon]

Ah yes, Pacific Life Insurance Company. I knew it started with a P

[collegestudent22]

What do you call it, ism-wise, where ideally a government would let a company like that go bankrupt, but not before taking stands to prop it up for a definite time period to meliorate the damage of its collapse by shuffling resources around to diffuse and absorb the crash, and then withdrawing the support, letting it collapse?


Oh, of course it won't work, there'd be too many people involved, and too many people running things, be they boardsmen, shareholders, committees, governments, will muck up any organization, governmental, social, or business. But in principle...?

I don't know. Why come up with something when you know it won't work? Why not just set up a simple system to transfer the customers to other companies that PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES....?

[StruckingFuggle]

I don't know. Why come up with something when you know it won't work?

Because no system works; but once you know both the system, and how it won't work, you can start working within and about the latter to progress towards the former.

Why not just set up a simple system to transfer the customers to other companies that PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES....?

Well, that'd be the sort of thing such a system would do, but such transfer would take time, eh? So clearly it would be better for the company in question to continue to exist and function for a while before collapsing...

Also: if they go out of business, what about all of the people about to become unemployed, lose benefits, etc? You have to account for them, too. Or at least, ideally, accounting for them, too, would reduce the strain on the economy as a whole.