What Insurance Ads can Teach your Brand about Fluent Devices

Fluent Device Effectiveness      

In fact, at System1, we’ve found that campaigns with fluent devices are 23% more likely to generate very large share gain, and 22% more likely to generate very large profit gain effects, than the average–all to say, that brands that make use of them can go far with customers. More than a mascot or a slogan, fluent devices drive the brands’ creative like a unifying force. They’re a key component of our market research on creative consistency – characters can easily be leveraged across linear TV campaigns, digital, OOH, sponsorships, packaging and much more.  

Fluent devices don’t just help viewers remember your brand, they simultaneously create memorable, even lovable ads that can help brands grow in the long term. Our analysis of the insurance category has found that ads using a recognizable brand character or distinctive creative style or scenario (a scenario fluent device) perform markedly better in long-term brand-building potential than ads that don’t use them – a half-Star better (2.4-Stars versus 1.9-Stars). These ads also have an advantage when it comes to brand recognition (92% versus 86%).  

But with so many insurance brand characters up valuable brain space in our memory banks, are they in danger of being played out? Are they at risk of losing their distinctiveness, which in turn aids their effectiveness?  

Thankfully the answer is no.  

We took a look at some of the more recent campaigns from a few of the top insurance brands to highlight the growth potential of fluent devices.  

Geico & the Gecko      

Geico not only frequently features its beloved talking Gecko, it also recognizes the work that works and doubles down. For this year’s March Madness tournament, the brand brought back one of its previous campaigns. Though the ad might be more than 5 years old, it still performs well with viewers. The ad sees the Gecko driving a miniature car to a restaurant and flipping the keys to the valet. He might be small, but he has big plans!  

The ad scores 3.8-Stars, well above the category average of 2.4-Stars. It also scores ‘Exceptional’ on short-term sales impact and 96% of viewers correctly identified the brand, largely thanks to the familiar Gecko. Geico and the Martin Agency, longtime partners, continue to demonstrate that consumers don’t tire of a likeable fluent device.  

State Farm & Jake   

For years State Farm has leaned into their affable agent Jake – though the actor portraying him has shifted since he debuted, Kevin Miles has been ‘Jake’ since 2020. The provider has also invested heavily in big name athletes like Patrick Mahomes, Chris Paul and Aaron Rodgers, but our analysis suggests that a focus on Jake is actually more effective. Ads that feature Jake interacting with regular people score 2.3-Stars on average compared to only 1.8-Stars for ads that feature celebrities.  

Of course, there is also a third option. Jake and celebrities. The brand’s 2024 Super Bowl campaign enlisted Jake, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, securing 3.4-Stars and ‘Exceptional’ short-term sales potential. The brand has also released several ads featuring celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Ludacris, and these position Jake as the solution to people’s home and auto issues. After all, he’s ‘like a good neighbor’! The ad with Ludacris scored exceptionally well on branding – 97% of consumers correctly identified State Farm as the brand – and it performed higher than the category average for long- and short-term impact. 

Progressive & Flo   

You might not know Stephanie Courtney by her given name, but you certainly know Flo, the fictional salesperson she’s played for Progressive since 2008. Over the years, there have been many ads featuring Flo, with the brand investing not only in her presence but also in developing a rich storyline. Viewers continue to gain additional insight into Flo’s family life, social circle and even a love interest played by Jon Hamm. While the scenarios provide variety, one thing is consistent – you can typically expect an appearance from the comedic character and her group of fellow insurance friends. Progressive ads featuring a character device average 2.2-Stars compared to 1.9-Stars for Progressive ads that don’t.  

Cultural moments provide an opportunity for brands like Progressive to align their characters with references to well-known and widely liked cultural works. In 2024, the brand leveraged the release of the Beetlejuice sequel to make a funny ad referencing how people summon Beetlejuice. It scored ‘Strong’ on short-term sales potential – ideal for an ad with a limited window of relevance.  

Farmers & Professor Burke   

Progressive isn’t the only brand getting in on film collaborations. During the 2024 holiday season, Farmers Insurance built its creative around the latest film from actor J.K. Simmons and The Rock, Red One. It’s a humorous nod to Simmons’ role as the brand’s Professor Burke. Like he’s done since 2010, Burke appears in the ad, which takes on a rather meta vibe thanks to Farmers’ employees wondering if Burke is secretly Santa after seeing clips of his red-suited character in the film.  

Many of the professor’s ads are set in the same way – he walks a policy holder through an almost unbelievable disaster that is actually a real claim covered by Farmers. In recent years, the company has also added in different Professor-driven spots that deviate from the “we’ve seen a thing or two” concept. The holiday campaign also has a different feel.  

But one thing remains – they always play with humor, even when highlighting safe driving discounts and other “Policy Perks” that might otherwise seem a bit dry.  

Liberty Mutual & LiMu Emu & Doug 

Like Farmers, Liberty Mutual makes use of both recurring scenarios and characters. Its recurring scenario puts a diverse mix of customers in front of the Hudson River and Lady Liberty herself. The concept and place are the same each time, but the people shift to keep the campaign fresh. From a DJ to a caricature artist to a boardwalk vendor, everyone benefits from customized insurance.  

In 2019, the brand launched its character fluent devices. LiMu Emu and Doug are a dynamic yet unexpected pair. And while Doug does all the talking – LiMu is just a large bird after all – the ads lean heavily into humor to drive feelings of happiness and surprise. Recently, we see an origin story of sorts – a farmer tells LiMu he’ll never make it selling insurance, only to see him on TV alongside Doug 5 years later. He’s not just a flightless bird after all!  

Create with Confidence

If you’d like to uncover the emotional response tied to distinctive assets like characters, our Test Your Distinctive Asset+ offering is for you! TYDA+ the first and only solution that helps marketers understand the feelings associated with creative assets. Our testing reveals: 

• Fame x Fluency: How quickly do people attribute an asset to your brand?  

• Fame x Feeling: For people correctly attributing an asset to my brand, how happy does the asset make them?   

• Emotional Response: How do my assets and those of my competitors make people feel and why?