The Progressive Insurance Lady
Flo The Progressive Insurance Lady
Flo’s job on the Progressive commercials is to staff the virtual Progressive store, where customers can walk in and shop for insurance as though they were shopping for groceries. While no such store exists in real life, the visual of the shoppers and of Flo wandering through the aisles assisting everyone is appealing to viewers.
It is Flo who makes the commercials work. Her character is peppy and friendly in a way seldom seen in reality. The character has a passion for insurance and for helping customers, yet her inability to filter her thoughts turn funny situations into true comedy. Here are a couple of examples:
- Flo’s customer reveals he had to sell his watch to his friend because money is tight, but once he sees how much money he can save with Progressive he joyfully proclaims he can afford to buy his watch back. The snarky friend then replies by telling him that the watch is not for sale. Flo’s response: “That’s cold!”
- A customer reveals he works for another insurance company but loves Progressive insurance. He then realizes a coworker is across the aisle, also browsing through Progressive’s offerings. They whisper back and forth so as not to be discovered shopping at Progressive, but then Flo throws her arms up in celebration and announces, “It’s an office party!”
This character effectively gets the point across that Progressive may save customers money while also entertaining viewers at the same time. This makes this particular insurance company more memorable, and as a result, potentially more profitable.
Flo in Real Life
Flo the Progressive Insurance Lady is actually improv actress Stephanie Courtney. Originally from the East Coast, she traveled to Los Angeles in an attempt to get her acting career off the ground. Her role for Progressive is not her first role as she has appeared on a variety of television shows and stages, yet her role as Flo is arguably her most popular role to date.
Stephanie Courtney remains in Los Angeles and is married to a man she met while appearing regularly on stage with an improv group.
The Appeal
What is the appeal of Flo as a spokesperson for Progressive? It may be that she is so incredibly enthusiastic about insurance, or it may be that she is so outgoing and friendly. In a culture where insurance and other financial services are largely moving to automation and virtual assistance, Flo is a brief glimpse into what over-the-top customer service might look like.
Progressive is not the first insurance company to utilize comical characters for commercials and print advertising. For example, Erin Esurance is the cartoon representative for Esurance who leaps from one adventure to another in an attempt to save customers money. Another great example is the gecko and cavemen representing Geico. Both have nothing to do with insurance, yet became recognizable (and sometimes quite popular) representatives for Geico.
Perhaps the most appealing thing about Stephanie Courtney’s character is that she’s a real person. Flo’s personality may be over-the-top, but she not a cartoon and isn’t generated by a computer. If customers want to feel as though they have some type of personal connection with their insurance company, this character provides the connection and does so in a comedic way.
For More Information
Learn about Progressive’s insurance offerings or watch clips of Flo’s commercials at the Progressive website.
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