Dr. Rick, Flo, Mara, Jamie, Jake, Doug, Mayhem, a duck, a lizard, an emu, a baby who taunts a grown man. What do all these names have in common?

Forgive me, but before I get to that parade of strange characters, I need to set some context regarding the idea of capitalism.

The conventional wisdom regarding free enterprise is that competition among companies makes for better products and services. It relies on the theory that humans excel when something is at stake – a reward of some sort. Inventors and innovators get their juices flowing, companies invest, and the people get better stuff at lower cost.

We get fancier phones and services. We get MRI’s and robotic heart surgery. We get amazingly convenient security devices and promotional tools for businesses. We get to Mars. On the lower tech end of things, we get “intelligent” lawn mowers and other robotic gadgets. Basic home products like windows, doors, locks and and even paint, all have improved largely through competition in the market place.

But what about insurance companies? Do consumers receive a better product as a result of free market competition? What exactly do insurance companies produce, or what service do they provide? Do they fix your car? Perform heart surgery? Fix your damaged roof or flooded basement? Replace the family heirlooms that were stolen from your house?

The clever answer might be that the companies compete through the prices they offer for individualised types of coverage. One might also refer to the helpfulness of the agents. But I’m going out on a limb here to say that if you barter effectively with any company, it is going to figure a way to satisfy your needs and beat or match the price of another company.

I’m also going to make this bold claim: Insurance companies know that they are static; they don’t offer evolving or advanced products. However, they perform a great social service that helps victims of misfortune. (It should also be noted that there is a pile of money to be made; to use casino gambling rhetoric, selling insurance is a safe bet because in the long run the house always wins!)

Regarding the aforementioned list of characters, they represent the creativity of the insurance companies that produce them.

They are products in the form of entertainment. So the competition involved here has nothing to do with insurance itself; it’s all about customer appeal, and the strategy employed by most companies comes in the form of humor.

The Liberty ads featuring Doug and Limu provide a good example. In essence they make fun of the whole idea of “only pay for what you need.” It’s a kind of parody – neither Doug nor Limu is something anyone needs! They are comical figures, caricatures of a dumber-than-average consumer. It’s kind of an inside-the-company joke, further exemplified by the handsome but stupid Liberty-Biberty guy who is taunted by an infant.

Humor is the catalyst in all Progressive ads. Reliable Flo, eccentric Jamie, and weird Mara personify total devotion to you, the consumer. They are a little gang of oddballs. Yet despite their simple-mindedness, they are funny and lovable. Moreover, many viewers recognize the formidable talent of Stephanie Courtney (Flo) as an actress and comedian.

Several years ago Geico dropped the caveman, probably to demonstrate sensitivity to folks with unusual appearances. He was replaced by Martin, the hairless gecko lizard, who comes off as cute, humble (despite a little streak of vanity), and charmingly polite.

All State’s ad featuring Mayhem is very clever. The abstract idea of ever-present potential catastrophe is personified through this crazy man (played by former SUV actor Dean Winters) who acts out his sado-masochistic urges by creating bad situations which can only end in some kind of destruction. He reminds us that stuff happens, and we ought to have All State there to help us when it does.

The original Jake from State Farm ads were comic skits. A jealous wife confronts her husband, assuming his late night phone chat is with another woman. She snatches the phone from him: “What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?” Jake’s sober response “Khakis” was a hit with audiences. The original Jake (an actual State Farm employee) was eventually replaced with a “real” actor, and a move away from comedy towards celebrity appeal followed, featuring the likes of Caitlin Clark.

Some of the best (and worst) TV entertainment comes in the form of advertisements. I am a fan of most commercials for insurance companies. However, especially in the case of health insurance, I wish they would stop masquerading as free market entities and embrace the critical role they play in our civilized society. They are servants of the general public.

Pete Howard, musician, writer, and educator, may be contacted at odyssmusic20@gmail.com