I don’t know about you but when I’m choosing insurance companies — I want to know whose spokesperson plays better football. Seriously. The players the companies choose to endorse are ultimately indicative of the companies’ character. And character matters. You wouldn’t work with an insurer whose spokesperson was Johnny Football… would you?
More on that later as I’ve got to explain this first. This is the Black Collar Club. And in it I’ll address relevant marketing, advertising, social and cultural “news” in a condensed format sourced from hours of early morning time spent scouring the internet in hopes of finding out what’s REALLY going on in our industry.
You wouldn’t work with an insurer whose spokesperson was Johnny Football. He’s a walking liability himself. How could you trust a company with a spokesperson like that?
But a company with Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Baker Mayfield singin’ your sales pitch while simultaneously slingin’ the pigskin through the playoffs… You would work with one of those insurers.
Of course, those insurers are State Farm and Progressive. State Farm has Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Progressive has Baker Mayfield. And while State Farm clearly has the better quarterbacks, Progressive almost made a better case as an insurer this weekend. At least on the internet…
Let me explain.
If you didn’t know, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns 22-17 in an absolute gut-wrencher of a game. A game in which Chad Henne was forced to replace a concussed Patrick Mahomes. A game that with Patrick Mahomes out, Baker Mayfield could have won…
Anyways, as “Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes exited Kansas City’s divisional round matchup against the Browns in the third quarter… [with] a hard hit to the head and neck area…” the internet exploded with memes. (Sports Illustrated) Memes poking fun at the quarterbacks’ rival insurance companies. Even All-State was brought into the mix with the instantly popular:
“If Mahomes had All-State, he’d be protected from mayhem like this:”
Seeing as Mahomes athletically trotted off the field before being ruled out of the remainder of the game, the memes were good-natured. And if Baker Mayfield had risen to the occasion when Chad Henne threw a pick giving the ball back to the Browns with ample time on the clock and only a five point deficit, the memes would have said something along the lines of:
“Should’ve signed with State Farm…”
But Baker did NOT rise to the occasion and Chad Henne eventually did. With an incredible run and a fourth down throw he insured the Chiefs victory. Pun intended.
BTW, Tony Romo swore the ball wouldn’t be snapped on that fourth down throw. It was. And Henne and Hill sealed the game with it.
Now I’m swearing to you, Progressive would have won the weekend had Baker Mayfield and the Browns beat the Chiefs. But they didn’t. Baker blew it. And now both State Farm quarterbacks will compete for their divisions. They could even meet in the Super Bowl…
Not much you can do as Progressive in this situation. Well, you can be grateful you didn’t sign Johnny Football… Who, of course, had something to say about this game.
Go Packers. Go Bills. And, go Baker. I was a little rough on him but it’s only because I like him. He’ll do big things in the league and Progressive will be happy they stuck with him.
Your Huckleberry,
Jimmy Boy
SOURCES: Sports Illustrated, Fox & Forbes