We've all gotten pretty used to these Allstate commercials with Dennis Haysbert and their increasing competitive claims against other insurance companies - namely Progressive and Geico. In fact, if you're like me, you've stopped paying attention because you get the punchline already and you can even perfectly mimic Mr. Haysbert's inflections.
But Allstate has decided to shake things up a bit with their new "Mayhem" spots, which I'm really digging. These commercials star Dean Winters (from the TV show Oz, which I never watched but I do know the black dude with dreads from the Matrix was also in it) as Mayhem himself - the force behind fallen tree branches, rich investment dudes that stop short, and flaky teenage girls that text while driving.
Mayhem's simultaneous seriousness and mockery captivate me instantly- I can't wait to see what other damage he's going to cause. And I totally get it - there are other people or forces out there that will inflict damage on our vehicles, making us the victims of incidents beyond our control.
But maybe these commercials are too good? They totally have me rooting for Mayhem, and I only getting a fleeting glimpse of Mayhem's victims - the woman who's parked car got smashed or the guy who rammed into the investment banker - and I feel little to no empathy for them (in fact i sort of think they're losers.) I'm deeply entrenched in the character profile of the "bad guy" that I don't even care about the good guy - yet, I'm supposed to BE the good guy!! Who's shoes should I be walking in?
But in the end, I generally get that "name your own price", "cut-rate", and "15 minute" insurance companies may not cover those situations. And I also remember that these are Allstate commercials since they still use Dennis Haysbert's voice at the end of the spot, triggering my Pavlov association with the brand.
And this isn't a dramatic departure for Allstate. Remember this great "multi-tasking" spot from a little while ago that showed us all the dangers other drivers pose to us as they change pants, eat, do work, and put on make-up while driving. This made us hate the 'other drivers' in the commercial, yet they actually represented the viewer. I don't know which is more confusing: making me root for the bad guy or making me hate myself as a driver.
Although I have some real questions about the effectiveness of these spots, the truth is that they are entertaining, fun to watch, and most importantly: memorable. And my 2 cents is that's money well spent.
