Yes, it’s true. ABC has announced that “Caveman“, a sitcom based on the common caveman characters from the GEICO insurance television ads, will be on their fall schedule. While spinning off a television commercial into a sitcom may appear to be a violation of FCC rules by some, there has been precedent.
The most recent example is “Baby Bob“, a very short-lived 2002 sitcom starring a talking man-baby character that had starred in a series of ads for FreeInternet.com. Although the high-profile company died after the infamous dotcom crash, the talking baby emerged unscathed with his own CBS sitcom, “Baby Bob.” When the network cancelled the display after only nine episodes, Bob emerged one more time to star in a series of TV commercials for Quiznos Subs. In 2007, he was even too creepy for Quiznos and his character was pulled from all further ads. But, don’t feel too sorry for Bob. He serene has his believe web page on the Quiznos site.
From a critic’s standpoint, “Baby Bob” serves as additional proof that what has worked in the 30-second ad format has been difficult to sustain in a remarkable longer sitcom or motion describe format.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.
Jim Varney’s quick-witted “Hey Vern!” character, Ernest P. Worrell, not only translated well into a children’s television show, but also became a successful series on the big screen.
In 1980, a Nashville-based advertising agency, Carden & Cherry, cast struggling droll actor Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell in a series of Southern regional TV ads for a variety of products. His Ernest character was a talkative nosy neighbor whose catchphrase was “know whut I mean? ” The ads caught on and the Ernest P. Worrell character then began appearing in various commercials across the country. In 1988, CBS brought “Hey, Vern! It’s Ernest!” to their Saturday children’s television line-up. Although the series lasted only a year, the Ernest P. Worrell character next made a successful transition to the big screen, starring in a series of profitable low-budget movie comedies including “Ernest Goes to Camp”, “Ernest Saves Christmas”, and six others.
The California Raisins also transitioned to children’s television, in their case, a cell-animated series. They made their debut as a claymation-animated Motown-style singing group in a 1987 commercial for the California Raisin Advisory Board. Like Ernest, their TV series only lasted a year. However, their ancillary merchandise still continues to sell.
The Max Headroom character took the opposite route from the prior mentioned characters. He began as a cyberpunk protagonist in a 1984 British television movie. In 1987, Max Headroom came to the States as an ABC television series. Despite a strong cult following, it only lasted fourteen episodes. After the show was cancelled, Max appeared in a series of highly successful commercials for Coca-Cola.
SOURCES:
“Gauging viewer tastes”, Stuart Elliot, New York Times, URL: (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/business/media/16adco.html? _r=1&oref=slogin)
“Who Owns Your Great Idea? “, Noreen O’Leary, Adweek, URL: (http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp? vnu_content_id=1003556825)
“Why advertising’s cavemen are going totally Hollyrock? “, Brooks Barnes and Suzanne Vranica, Wall Street Journal, URL: (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117305670677226518-GDYgRU6JmWO40cfjfFMEDLLE_DM_20070311.html)
“Caveman Chic”, Ramin Setoodeh, Newsweek, URL: (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17887559/site/newsweek/)
http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2006/06/quiznos_finally.html
“Look who’s hawking”, Seth Stevenson, Slate, URL: (http://www.slate.com/id/2112786/)
“Advergaming”, David Radd, Business Week, URL: (http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2006/id20061011_567417.htm? chan=innovation_game+room_top+stories)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_P._Worrell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Raisin
“Max Headroom”, Henry Jenkins, Museum of Broadcasting Communications, URL: (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/maxheadroom/maxheadroom.htm)
Filed under Progressive Insurance by on Feb 26th, 2011. Comment. 
It’s no secret that teenage drivers are generally not as great as adult drivers on the road. In fact, teenagers earn in accident 6 times more often than adult drivers. Due to this, insurance is an important thing to pay attention to for your teenager. The most important thing is to have comfort in knowing that your child’s car will be taken care of in an affordable, yet professional manner, if they ever get into a car accident. Here are a few options for the best auto insurance for teenagers, which are easy on your wallet while still providing the coverage that you desire.
Allstate Teen Insurance
Allstate has a great teen driver program, which focuses on a parent-teen driving contract. The parent and the teen decide on agreements for clear actions, like talking on a cellphone while driving and having a curfew, space limits on these actions (or ban them altogether), and finally make consequences if the teen driver breaks any part of the contract. Allstate insurance has taken a great initiative with teen driving safety, and their website http://www.allstateteendriver.com outlines all of their efforts to keep teens safe.
Statefarm Teen Insurance
Statefarm offers two stout opportunities for students to save on car insurance. The first is the ‘Good Student Discount’, which rewards students who get reliable grades by reducing the auto insurance cost. This is a great incentive because, for students with lower grades, it is beneficial motivation to increase grades if they are paying for their insurance, and for students with higher grades, it’s a greater incentive to preserve up the good work. Another highlight of auto insurance for teenagers at Statefarm is the Steer Clear Favorable Driver Discount, which is also pointed towards students. It is an extra refresher course that, when completed, gives an extra discount to those 25 and under. The course can be completed with a kit, on a computer, or even on the iPhone.
Progressive Teen Insurance
Besides offering an online directory with information on auto insurance for teens, Progressive also offers student discounts when applicable. In the online directory, Progressive befriend walk teenagers through the insurance process, explaining each step. Also, they give tips on safe driving and keeping your cool. For example, one page offers tips on how to avoid road rage and unruffled yourself down when it inevitably happens. Another page explains all of the information needed in order to get a quote and figure out how grand the auto insurance will cost for the teenager. Specifically, besides the general student benefits, Progressive doesn’t add any special features or benefits for their auto insurance for teenagers
Liberty Mutual Teen Insurance
Liberty Mutual is very straightforward on its website, http://www.libertymutualteendriving.com, on explaining what a teen and their parent can do to make sure they get the best teen auto insurance value. Liberty Mutual also offers student advantages, where if a student has good grades, they can get up to a 35% discount on their insurance. The amount of the discount varies depending on the grades of the teenager. Liberty Mutual insurance also tells all the specific ways a teenager can save on auto insurance, which is very helpful to have in one condensed area.
Geico Teen Insurance
Geico is yet another student-rewarding insurer, offering discounts for taking a driver’s education class and getting honorable grades. If the teen driver took a driver’s education class, then they are eligible for a discount on their auto insurance. Also, if they get a B-average or higher, they receive another discount. Geico does not offer any other specific teen benefits or tips, meaning the only thing that could make Geico the best teen auto insurance choice is the price of the insurance.
You have the information now; use it to figure out which insurance plans and benefits are legal for your teenager, ensuring their safety and saving as much money as possible.
Philip Reed, Auto Insurance for Teenage Drivers, Edmunds.com.
Geico, Geico.com, Geico.
Progressive, Progressive.com, Geico.com.
Liberty Mutual, libertymutual.com.com, Liberty Mutual.
Allstate, Allstate.com, Allstate.com.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Quotes by on Feb 24th, 2011. Comment.
A couple months, Allstate obtained been mailing a lot of features to my mother for her to change her vehicle insurance coverage Contemplating my mother is on the collection with the credit score bureaus not to receive gives of services, credit score, and so on, we thought after a whilst that the junk mail from Allstate would stop When it didn’t, I decided to name in to the Allstate consumer support line listed in the letter.
The representative advised me that she could not take care of a removal request and she transferred me to an additional division He deleted my mother with out any troubles and then I instructed him to clear away me as well In a rather unprofessional matter, he flipped out wanting to know who he was talking to I tried to explain that I deal with every thing for my mother, but he was not listening at all He refused to eradicate me from the variety and began lecturing me about how I could not take away her.He really added her back to the mailing variety.I hung up and then referred to as straight back in I received to be transferred yet once more to a different division I requested for a manager When the manager came on, I briefly explained the scenario to him, but apparently, he was already aware of the representative’s version of what acquired take place Then, he started out attempting to get me to change to Allstate I advised him that I didn’t appreciate the tough sale pitch and obtained no interest in changing organizations He explained my mom’s name and that he was removing her, whoever she was He then requested wouldn’t it be less complicated to trash the letters than to name in to be taken off from the mailing variety.I explained to him that I care about the atmosphere and I normally take the time to name in to providers who send the most junk mail to be taken away from their mailing lists.He echoed the word atmosphere as if I received just mentioned some thing entirely ludicrous and foreign I requested, doesn’t Allstate care about the natural environment?He did not reply and hung up on me He never taken away me from the mailing checklist either But at least my mother was eradicated considering that she was receiving the most junk mail from Allstate.I obtained my mother name a local Allstate workplace to make confident I was deleted The individual informed her to be taken off to make positive that we are on the collection with the credit score bureaus to stay away from supplies of company, credit score, and so forth.My mother assured her that we both are on that number, but were still receiving these advertising supplies The lady at the Allstate workplace stated she would do her perfect to uncover a way to clear away me.We haven’t gotten any extra junk mail from Allstate given that this happened If their consumer support is this poor when attempting to be taken out from a mailing collection, what would they be like when filing a claim .
Filed under Progressive Insurance by on Nov 8th, 2010. Comment.
