OT: Got a stirring from watching a Progressive Insurance Commercial

[eddief]

Decided to delete the message and respect the sanctity of the forum.

Sorry for the Sunday eve freak out.

[Bob Ross]

if this is (or was) about "The Cult Of Flo", you can rest assured, you're apparently not alone. (Me personally I don't get these, uh, stirrings from Flo, but from reading several other internet forums I've come to learn that quite a few television viewers do. Whatever floats yet boat...)

[avalonracing]

Even though you deleted the message the thread title is good for a chuckle.
:D

[paulrad9]

Needed to do a search (http://www.austin360.com/tv/content/tv/stories/2008/10/1020progressive.html), but I got it now. Too funny

Edited to add, it seems this isn't her first thread (http://www.thenoiseboard.com/index.php?showtopic=211020). Check out the cover in post 14 (after studying post 6, of course)

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . incredibly annoying. Ready to hurl . . .

BBD

[paczki]

More riding and the right seat could put an end to those stirrings -- or any stirrings.

[Ray]

Flo does nothing for me - at least nothing positive. But Courtney works for me pretty well. And knowing she could come up with such an over the top satirical character and play her straight enough to get a fat commercial contract for it just makes her better. Strange stuff, for sure.

-Ray

[Lifelover]

I'd hit it!

[avalonracing]

I'd hit it!

She is annoying but wow.... Couldn't you just slap her.

[eddief]

since i'm not the only one, the focus of my message was to get rid of her and the company she works for. granted i could turn her off or change the channel, but how much of our insurance dollar is going to fund the never ending every other minute commercials with her in them? same is true in this market for kaiser permanente health care "thrive" campaign. my monthly keeps going up as they advertise the living daylights out of insurance healthy people can't get or afford. worse than advertising milk. got milk? got a brain?

the constant barage from insurance companies makes me want to lead a tea party of some sort. come to berkeley with your tea bags and weird signs. don't bring any guns.

[OtayBW]

since i'm not the only one, the focus of my message was to get rid of her and the company she works for. granted i could turn her off or change the channel, but how much of our insurance dollar is going to fund the never ending every other minute commercials with her in them? the constant barage from insurance companies makes me want to lead a tea party of some sort. come to berkeley with your tea bags and weird signs. don't bring any guns.
I'm guessing a miniscule amount.

[paulrad9]

I'm guessing a miniscule amount.

My guess the advertising will end soon mostly due to the large costs associated with advertising. From 2009 2nd Quarter Report:

Advertising expenditures increased significantly in the second quarter 2009, compared to the second quarter 2008, which contributed
to the higher expense ratio. We continue to work toward achieving our key objective of having our efforts in marketing and other
brand-building activities match our competency in other technical skills, such as pricing and claims handling. Lower overall average
costs per policy offset the higher advertising spend in the first half of 2009, compared to the first half of 2008.

[OtayBW]

My guess the advertising will end soon mostly due to the large costs associated with advertising. From 2009 2nd Quarter Report:

Advertising expenditures increased significantly in the second quarter 2009, compared to the second quarter 2008, which contributed
to the higher expense ratio. We continue to work toward achieving our key objective of having our efforts in marketing and other
brand-building activities match our competency in other technical skills, such as pricing and claims handling. Lower overall average
costs per policy offset the higher advertising spend in the first half of 2009, compared to the first half of 2008.
What is not reported is what the effect will be - or has been - of those advertising dollars. They surely did not produce them as public service annoucements.

[paulrad9]

What is not reported is what the effect will be - or has been - of those advertising dollars. They surely did not produce them as public service annoucements.

Interestingly, the total revenue for three months ending 6/30 2009 realized only about a 1% increase compared to the same period one year ago.
Google Finance for PGR (http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:PGR&fstype=ii)

[OtayBW]

Interestingly, the total revenue for three months ending 6/30 2009 realized only about a 1% increase compared to the same period one year ago.
Google Finance for PGR (http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:PGR&fstype=ii)
So the whole marketing thing was a total blooming failure, huh? Got PLENTY of attention, as evidenced by the fact that we're talking about it on a flippin' bicycle forum. A few ad/marketing folks recently told me that they, and a lot of people in their biz, consider it a brilliant scheme. The long-term upshot of it remains unknown.

[BengeBoy]

Some insurance companies spend their marketing dollars on advertising.

Some of them spend that much, and more, on agent commissions.

Take your pick - you can help the local agent on the corner put his kid through college, or help Warren Buffett feed the Geico gecko.

[39cross]

She is like, totally hot....if you happen to be Bill Clinton.

And sir, that's Mr. Gecko!

[William]

She is like, totally hot....if you happen to be Bill Clinton.




http://sporeflections.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/groucho-marx.jpg


:D

[goonster]

http://sporeflections.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/groucho-marx.jpg

Best joke never told on television: (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/380/did-groucho-marx-utter-a-famous-double-entendre-ad-lib-on-the-air)

"Lady, I love my cigar, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while!"

[fiamme red]

Best joke never told on television: (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/380/did-groucho-marx-utter-a-famous-double-entendre-ad-lib-on-the-air)

"Lady, I love my cigar, but I take it out of my mouth once in a while!"There's a much more thorough article about this at Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/grouchocigar.asp).

[avalonracing]

I read that Geico spent a half billion dollars on advertising last year. It's easy to see how between the lizard the cavemen and the stack of money. It just annoys me that all three of those campaigns are unfunny to the tenth power.

[johnnymossville]

I read that Geico spent a half billion dollars on advertising last year. It's easy to see how between the lizard the cavemen and the stack of money. It just annoys me that all three of those campaigns are unfunny to the tenth power.

+$.5Billion

When I even get a whiff of a Geico commercial I just about break something to either turn it off or run away from it.

[MattTuck]

Figured this should go here.... "I'm blasting my quads"... "cycling is my passion."


https://alltvspots.com/2018/progressive-flo-janice-on-stationary-bike-commercial/

[avalonracing]

Figured this should go here.... "I'm blasting my quads"... "cycling is my passion."


https://alltvspots.com/2018/progressive-flo-janice-on-stationary-bike-commercial/

Man, you have some crazy-good recall of forum threads. I saw it and didn't even remember commenting in the thread... twice. And it was almost a decade ago!

[eddief]

i was trying to funny or if i was being serious.

the old eddie.

[MattTuck]

Man, you have some crazy-good recall of forum threads. I saw it and didn't even remember commenting in the thread... twice. And it was almost a decade ago!

haha, to be fair, some things just stick with you. and every time I see one of those commercials, it somehow strengthened my memory of this thread... funny how neurons work.

In any event, my general memory is not so great. I was wondering a few days ago, (about the thread on Terpstra's position) what kind of drop Eddy merckx rode, just to compare the old timers to what kind of positions the modern riders use.

Went to google, got this result. (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=137277)