Friday, September 17, 2010
Dude, Where Are Your Eyes?
State Farm's creepy eyeless wonder is back to tell us all about saving money, something he openly mocked not all that long ago in another ad. This time he's at Fenway, trying to sell us some line about saving being "America's Real National Pasttime."
Ok, hold it right there, buddy. Saving is "America's Real National Pasttime?" Really? Since when? The last time I checked, Americans were actually running a negative savings rate, regularly spending MORE THAN THEY MAKE. Not their fault in most cases- something to do with stagnant wage growth not matching a steady rise in the cost of living- but a fact just the same. Americans don't save a whole hell of a lot of money these days. In fact, Americans don't save ANY money these days. "National Pasttime?" Please.
This guy's lame pitch is given a boost from "random" passerbys, one of which is entertaining his friend with how he's been bringing his lunch to work every day and "fifty extra dollars, IN my pocket." Again- this is the kind of frugality that State Farm, with the help of this same spokeschoad, had fun ridiculing in a previous ad. Remember "what some people won't do to save money?" Sorry, buddy- you fail. This is not the way to save money, just the way to earn sneers from State Farm.
A woman walks up to our favorite Dick Tracy Villain (who was that- "BB eyes," right?) and declares "I save money by being accident free!" as if she's seeking approval from her dad. "See? I save money in an insurance-related manner. That makes me better, right? Right?"
In the end, we are told that if we REALLY want to save money, we need to stop the nickle-and-diming crap and give State Farm a call. Instead of sending this perpetually squinting creep with his smarmy grin around to mock us for our doomed efforts to save money without the help of his All-Wise Insurance Company, maybe they ought to offer to stop inflicting him on us innocent television viewers, who after all are just trying to relax after a long day of Saving.
And if they refuse, maybe we should give Flo over at Progressive another look. I mean, even her freakishly pale perkiness isn't as insufferable as State Farm's cheerfully condescending stalker.
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Sometimes it is like you read my mind with these commercials. This is one of my most hated. The part about the guy who saves "50 bucks a week..." 50 "bucks" huh? I tried this before. It isn't so easy. This is out of the local Shop-Rite weekly circular...
ReplyDeleteSnapple 6-Pack - 4.50
SR Whole Grain Bread - 1.70
1 lb. Turkey - 8.90
1/2 lb Viginia Ham - 3.50
1 lb provolone cheese - 5.00
Mustard - 2.00
Pudding Snack Packs - 4 for 5.00
Frito-Lay Variety pack chips - 5.50
That comes to just over 36 dollars. Add the 50 the guy saves and he was somehow spending 86 dollars a week or 17 dollars a day on lunch. Me I usually get a 5 dollar burrito and a 2 dollar drink. 7 or 8 dollars a day. That is 35 dollars a week. One dollar more then eating crappy lunch meat sandwiches and way to small for an adult chocolate pudding pack. I'm eating something really tasty, saving 15 minutes in the morning and also saving a dollar. Some one call old mole eyes I have a great idea for his next commercial.
Thepapers, that comment really annoyed me too. This guy must have been going out with his buddies to a decent restaurant for lunch everyday. If that's the case, NO DUH if you brown bag it you are going to save a LOT of money every week. But don't be so proud of yourself- you shouldn't have been tossing that kind of money away anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhat's next? "Instead of going to the movies every night, I stay home and watch tv- SEVENTY BUCKS A WEEK, IN my pocket!?" Not that I want to give State Farm any ideas.