{"id":29390,"date":"2023-01-11T20:02:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T20:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/11\/reginald-veljohnson-stars-in-progressives-new-campaign\/"},"modified":"2023-01-11T20:02:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T20:02:04","slug":"reginald-veljohnson-stars-in-progressives-new-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/11\/reginald-veljohnson-stars-in-progressives-new-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Reginald VelJohnson Stars in Progressive’s New Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After starring for nearly a decade as the patriarch on Family Matters, Reginald VelJohnson has the sensibilities of TV Dad locked and loaded. But he was open to tweaking that beloved persona\u2014and the prototypical head of household as seen in entertainment\u2014for a sitcom-style campaign from Progressive Insurance.<\/p>\n

VelJohnson, also a veteran of the blockbuster Die Hard franchise, said he wanted to draw from the past while adding some new flavor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI hoped to channel the same wisdom and heartwarming energy\u201d of Carl Winslow and other fictional fathers, \u201cin a way viewers have not yet seen on screen,\u201d VelJohnson told Adweek. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful the ads resonate with viewers and provide them a positive memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

The result of the collaboration between Progressive and VelJohnson<\/a> is the aptly named \u201cTV Dad,\u201d a pair of new spots from agency of record Arnold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From a marketing perspective, Progressive sees \u201cTV Dad\u201d as \u201ca three-prong power punch\u201d that combines nostalgia and diversity with a cost-saving message that\u2019s critical in inflationary times, according to Remi Kent<\/a>, the brand\u2019s CMO.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe economic landscape is top of mind, and we want to make sure we\u2019re sensitive to what\u2019s going on in the world,\u201d Kent told Adweek. \u201cComing off the holidays, people are thinking about how to be smart with their budgets and many are shopping for rates.\u201d<\/p>\n

The diverse cast of \u201cTV Dad\u201d is meant to reflect Progressive\u2019s existing and potential consumer base, Kent said, while the call-back to the \u201890s latches onto a trend<\/a> that continues to have legs in advertising and pop culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cNostalgia holds relevance across generations,\u201d Kent said. \u201cWe loved the idea of a savings message layered in with the purity, warmth and relatability of a family sitcom. People really seem to want that all-knowing, wise dad character who solves all your problems in 30 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

That insight comes with data to back it up: Family Matters<\/a>, which aired 215 episodes on linear TV from 1989 to 1997, has racked up 2 billion streaming views since 2020, per the brand. A study from Nielsen found that fans watched 11.4 billion minutes of the comedy in 2020, a nearly 400% leap from the previous year.<\/p>\n

Cheesy jokes and sight gags<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cTV Dad\u201d goes all-in on classic genre tropes, complete with laugh track, cheesy jokes and sight gags. There\u2019s even a catchy theme song that plays over a montage of VelJohnson baking cookies, consoling kids and playing handyman.<\/p>\n

VelJohnson, who said he\u2019s choosy about the commercial work<\/a> he takes, is often recognized and lauded by the public as his Family Matters paterfamilias. The cast and crew at the Progressive shoot were no different.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a fun experience being the sitcom TV dad after all these years,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the set people were so kind to me and said how they loved and grew up watching me on TV. I don\u2019t have kids of my own, and I enjoyed all the love I received.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ads, shot in November in Los Angeles, will get a \u201csignificant\u201d media buy for 2023\u2019s Q1, Kent said, including national TV, streaming, radio, online video, YouTube and paid social.<\/p>\n

\u201cTV Dad\u201d could join Progressive\u2019s stable of characters like Flo<\/a> and her squad and Dr. Rick<\/a>, Kent said, but no decision has been made yet on future campaigns.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n