Heather Henderson

MEDT 7490
Assignment 6 – Analysis of a TV commercial

The Corning - Progressive Insurance Commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOdnR7jCz7Q

Rhetoric. What type of persuasive technique the commercial is using? Pathos, logos, or
ethos? Explain why.
I think the Progressive commercial is using the technique of ethos. They immediately
convey a sense of trust at the beginning of the commercial by telling the truck owner not to
worry because he’s covered and he’s saving money because he bundled his home and auto
insurance. The commercial then ends by trying to convince the viewers that Progressive can put
your mind at ease by being there for you all day and all night...available 24/7 in other words.

Overall message. What product or service is the commercial trying to sell? Where was
the commercial set? Describe the setting(s). Who was in the commercial? Describe the
people in the commercial. What objects were in the commercial? Describe the objects.
What happened in the commercial? Provide as much detail as you can.
The commercial is aiming to sell insurance and specifically speaks on bundling your
insurance. This specific Progressive commercial is set in the countryside at a house that backs
up to a cornfield. The character, Flo, is the face of Progressive and takes the main lead during
the commercial. Other people involved in the commercial were a farmer and his wife and five
other progressive representatives dressed similarly to Flo. The objects that were the focal point
of the commercial were the farmhouse behind the farmer and the cornfield Flo and her
Progressive representatives walk out of.
The commercial begins with the farmer walking outside only to find a tree branch has
fallen on his truck. You then hear Flo’s voice speaking in a monotone style in the background
telling the farmer not to worry and he’s covered. The camera immediately flashes to Flo
standing at the edge of the cornfield where she is starting at the farmer. Flo tells the farmer that
he’s covered because he bundled his home and auto insurance. The farmer tells his wife to get
in the house. The other five Progressive representatives then begin to walk out of the corn field
behind Flo stating that they are all there for him all day and all night. You then see the farmer
running into the house. This is all happening while creepy music and sounds are playing in the
background. The music stops and the camera focused back on Flo and her representatives and
she says smiling “Great job speaking calmly and clearly everyone! That’s how you put a
customer at ease.” One of the representatives then asks if anyone heard weird voices in the
corn. After everyone comments “no,” a voice whispers the one representatives name.

Production: What cultural codes are they using? What is the overall message they are
trying to communicate? Analyze the purpose of the commercial: What is the message of
the TV commercial? In other words, what do the commercial’s creators want the target
audience to believe about the product?
 A cultural code this commercial is using is by setting the scene in a wooded farmland
area, they are drawing in those that may live in areas that are surrounded by trees and have a
higher risk of a tree or its branch falling on their house or car. I also think the hidden cultural
code is by using creepy music and the iconic corn field, they are conveying to the public their
support of holidays and therefore reaching those that celebrate Halloween. The overall
message the commercial is trying to communicate is that those that are insured with
Progressive can save money when they bundle their insurances (ie:home and auto). They also
want to communicate that their representatives are available to help with any issues or
questions 24/7.

Distribution. At what time during the day was shown? What TV show was playing? Who
is most likely to watch that show? Why you think they are showing that commercial at
that particular time? Who is the target audience of the commercial? Explain your
thoughts.
This commercial was shown around 3pm on a Sunday while watching NFL football. The
most likely audience watching this show would be those that are teenagers or adults. This
commercial was most likely shown at this time because there would have been an abundance
of people watching who own a vehicle, house, or something that would need insurance. The
commercial was also showing to compete with the insurance company that sponsored the
football game, StateFarm. It is also nearing the end of the year when people begin to think
about getting new vehicles or trading theirs in. Those watching the football game would have
either been in a house or might have driven to a bar in to watch the game. Regardless, both
cars and houses should be insured therefore targeting those who were watching the game.

Persuasive techniques. Analyze the techniques the commercial’s creators used. What
visuals techniques do the commercial creators’ use to convince us of their message?
Pick two and explain how they help support the message. What aural techniques do the
commercial creator’s use to convince us of their message? Pick two and explain how
they help support the message.
One visual technique the commercial uses is focal point. The majority of the commercial
uses the iconic “Flo” to lead the rest of her representatives out of the cornfield. She draws in the
viewers’ attention and forces you to hear the message about saving money when you bundle
your insurance. The second visual technique I think the commercial uses is association. The
beginning of the commercial shows a tree branch that has fallen on a truck. Anyone first
reaction is hoping your insurance will cover the damage. This makes the viewer associate
accidents with insurance. The commercial is also sure to include a clear shot of the house and
the damaged truck while Flo speaks about bundling home and auto insurance.
One of the aural techniques that is used in this commercial is tone. With the time of year
being close to Halloween, they utilized dramatic background sounds and the iconic cornfield to
convey a sense of suspense. This would draw in the viewers’ attention simply because it
sounds and looks suspenseful. The second aural technique that was used was sound. The
creator of the commercial chose to use creepy music and sounds in the background like the
ones that are used in horror or suspense movies.
In addition, in the same word document, write a reflection about this activity. What did
you learn from the materials provided? Why is important to know persuasive
techniques? How you can use these types of exercises in your classroom?
During this assignment, I learned about the three main persuasive techniques of
advertisement. Each type aims to reach a specific type of customer and conveys the message
in the most appealing way possible. I also learned that the creators of the commercials can use
simple visual and aural techniques to draw in their target audience. It is important to understand
about these techniques because so many of the ways the creator presents the product are
actually false advertising or are hidden messages. For example, one type of shoe can’t actually
give you perfect legs. Knowing that there are hidden meanings and all advertisements are
persuading a certain type of customer can help prevent you from being scammed or wasting
your money on a product that didn’t do exactly what the advertisement said it would.
Teaching students about the techniques of advertisement can be beneficial in the
classroom. When writing a persuasive essay, students could also be asked to accompany their
essay with an advertisement that represents their supported topic. By teaching them about the
techniques used in advertisements, they can then translate them into their own advertisement to
convince their classmates.