Dr. Rick Progressive Commercials Ranked
Watch out, Flo! There's a new Progressive spokesperson making his way into people's hearts by offering low insurance rates in a completely comical manner.
Over the course of the last year, a series of commercials have come out featuring Dr. Rick, played by actor Bill Glass, who teaches new homeowners how to not turn into their parents. The ads are great for two reasons: First, they're just plain funny as Dr. Rick has to teach these younger people how not to come across as lame or high maintenance. Secondly, with more millennials getting into homeownership, the commercials are a good reminder that you need insurance to protect the biggest investment ever.
Dr. Rick has only had a handful of appearances so far, but with any luck, we'll be seeing much more of him in the years to come. After all, there's no shortage of "old people" jokes one can make, so the sky's truly the limit. But let's take a look at the commercials we have so far, ranking them from least funny to utterly hilarious.
Worst - Dr. Rick hosts a seminar
While we might consider the "Seminar" ad to be the low-point of the Dr. Rick franchise, the commercial admittedly still has a few gems in it. Things start off promising enough with Dr. Rick saying, "If you printed out directions to get here today, you're in the right place." However, Mapquest references aside, things quickly take a turn. Other Dr. Rick commercials are simply more active; you actually get to see someone acting out a silly thing typically associated with their parents and then watch Dr. Rick correct them. But this commercial is just too passive to get as engaging.
Then there's the crammed-in ad copy halfway through where a nerdy-looking guy in the audience talks at-length about Progressive's HomeQuote Explorer. Granted, it ends with the funny-enough line of, "Was I hashtagging?" But in the moment, it just makes you far too aware that you're watching an ad. It does conclude with a nice physical gag of someone in the crowd taking a picture with their iPad, but when looking at it as a whole, it just falls short from what we had become accustomed to with Dr. Rick.
Okay - Dr. Rick has his own mockumentary
Clip shows are the bane of every sitcom's existence, and yet, every show from The Simpsons to The Office has done them. They're basically just filler episodes that don't offer anything new in terms of humor or character development. The Dr. Rick commercial referred to as "Mockumentary" is precisely that, showing scenes from commercials we've watched before with narration from Dr. Rick played over it.
Dr. Rick explains that he used to be just like his dad, but he turned his life around, making it his mission to help others who are too lame for their own good. This led to his study of "parentology" and promotion of his fake book, encouraging everyone to follow along so that they don't end up in a similar situation to the homeowners we see throughout this ad series.
It also doesn't help that this is the longest Dr. Rick commercial Progressive has put out so far, coming in at a whopping 75 seconds. In the realm of commercials, that's practically an Avatar-sized runtime.
Good - Dr. Rick reveals his methods
Now we're getting into the Dr. Rick commercials that are actually pretty good.
This is the type of format you're probably more familiar with when it comes to these ads. We get various skits of Dr. Rick helping people not turn into their parents whether that involves throwing a "Live, Laugh, Love" sign in the trash or teaching people how to open a PDF. One scene anyone with a dad can relate to is when one of his patients goes to sit down in a chair with a loud, exasperated sigh. It's a universal expression and just kind of something every man develops once he turns 35.
When it comes to these last few Dr. Rick commercials, the best one is really a matter of personal preference. Perhaps some skits will strike harder for you because they hit a little too close to home. Either way, let's carry on.
Great - Dr. Rick throws out throw pillows
This is another classic Progressive commercial that's perhaps best known for the bit where Dr. Rick informs a woman she has too many pillows on her couch. He then proceeds to chuck the items aside because ultimately, you need to be able to sit down on your couch.
However, we'd argue the funniest bit (and the reason it ranks just a tiny bit higher than the previous entry) is the opening moment where Dr. Rick teaches a group of adults how to silence their cell phones. One woman informs him that she doesn't have that feature, and in the most perfect, dry expression, he says, "Everyone does. Right up here." There's just something about his tone that perfectly encapsulates a teacher who's over their job and is just trying to make it to the end of the day. Just good stuff all around.
Best - Dr. Rick takes his students on a field trip
Throughout the Dr. Rick commercials, a lot of the funny bits involve things people generally accept about getting older, like getting worse at technology or having boring hobbies. They're almost like stereotypes but the thing that makes the "Group Outing" commercial the absolute best in this series is how the jokes feel so specific, like someone followed a bunch of 50-year-olds around a Home Depot and recorded their interactions.
We never used to think about people using their speakerphone when in a public place, but now, we can't help but see it everywhere. Feeling the need to point out when a kid has blue hair feels like a prerequisite before you're allowed to sign up for a 401(k). So, whoever wrote this commercial positively hit the nail on the head, and it's going to be tough for Progressive to top it in the future.
Progressive has excelled in making commercials we actually look forward to seeing, which isn't an easy feat in the slightest. And we can't wait to see what the next Dr. Rick lesson plan entails.