Thursday, July 08, 2010

Madison Avenue Goes Spanko

Having immersed ourselves in spanko culture for years, one might think that Randy and I would be startle-proof. Not so. We were watching a little television together when we got a huge and delightful surprise.

For those who may not recognize her, that's Flo, the ditzy spokeswoman for Progressive Insurance. Yes, she is definitely holding a serious-looking wooden spanking paddle. No one gets their bottom swatted in this commercial, but still... The suggestion is out there and it isn't the least bit subtle.

I think we have to conclude that members of our community are active in the advertising industry and helping to establish adult spanking in the mainstream consciousness. How cool is that?

17 comments :

Anonymous said...

Excellent! I've been saying for a long time that Flo needed a good spanking!

indy said...

Could she take that to the Geico Gecko, please? That would get rid of two completely annoying commercial themes in one blow. So to speak...

Kimmie said...

I saw this commercial the other day. Thought it was great!

*Kimmie*

Hermione said...

Great catch! I haven't seen that one. I'll have to start watching commercials; maybe I'm missing the best part.

Hugs,
Hermione

Scunge said...

I think I am one of the few people that actually likes Flo(the actress's name by the way is Stephanie Courtney)! I tend to zap past commercials but I will keep an eye out for THIS one!

OnHerKnee said...

I knew there was something that drew me to their car insurance. Now I know.

Anonymous said...

I changed...eh ah Switched (lol?) my car insurance about 5 minutes after I saw that commercial!

Respectfully,
max

Beth said...

I've seen other cheesy progressive commercials, so I definitely was not expecting to see the girl waving around a giant paddle. This one caught me completely off guard while watching TV with my vanilla boyfriend, so it was very difficult to play it cool. I'm glad he thinks I'm normally a dork anyway. :)

Mitch said...

Great find, Bonnie! I "hear" Flo all the time as I have the TV running next to the computer as I "work." Guess I need to start actually watching. And, the insurance industry has a rep for being quite staid, prim, and proper.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen this one yet either, I don't really watch much tv. Maybe I need to start! LOL Will be watching for this one.

Make Mine Red

Dave said...

Cool catch! I have no TV(!) at the mo, but I've seen Flo in the past, and couldn't imagine her wielding a paddle, but, hmm, maybe over my knee instead..? Hmm....*ponders this*

Keep up the fabtastic bloggin'
Dave

Anonymous said...

I felt two things when I saw the commercial. One is, the reactions of the man who played opposite of Flo: he did a wonderful job portraying dread, and, I think, a subtle desire, as he grabbed his benefits and quickly departed.

The second was, there really was no reason for Flo to have the paddle. She waved it around and said something like, "Let's get you initiated," and then all she did was tip a candy-bar like package off a shelf. The least she could have done was make it look like the tool was actually useful, perhaps lifting the package off the shelf and offering it on the paddle itself.

No, not impressed with the use of the paddle. It may as well have been a sock.

Like everyone else, I was tickled to see the implement out in public. But not impressed by it's weak presence.

Daisychain said...

LOL, anything that gets TTWD into the open has to be good! Here in the UK, we have a programme on daily called Deal or No Deal, where the sole purpose is to "SPANK THE BANKER"! They talk about it all the way through, it is really funny! Of course, its a metaphor for winning money from him, but, the twinkle in the host's eyes tells me he is a closet spanker in the real sense!!!!!!!!!! xxxxxxx

Anonymous said...

Ah, Bonnie, if only it were true that a small group of our fellow spankos were working on the culture from the inside out to make us more mainstream, but I'm afraid it ain't so. Madison Avenue, like Hollywood, is filled with poseurs who affect an air of sexual sophistication to put one over on the customer (and incidentally bolster their own feelings of insecurity). The irony is the middle America that forms their target audience, and to whom they desperately want to feel superior, probably knows far more about BDSM (including spanking) than they do. I doubt very much that the Madison Ave. people who put this ad together know one end of that paddle from the other. They do know how to run a bluff, because in their world it won't ever be called. In Texas (or here in Chicago for that matter), they'd quickly be spotted as "all hat and no cattle".
Web-Ed, Chicago Spanking Review

Bonnie-jo said...

I saw this too!! But it hasn't come back on again..which is quite sad. I'm so glad you caught this and told everyone about it!

Anonymous said...

I'll have to agree about the GEICO Gecko. That little guy needs to have a piano dropped on him to make sure he never appears again.

Anonymous said...

This is the only Progressive commercial that ever made me laugh! And they must figured out it was a little (very little) risque, because it was yanked off TV and hasn't come back. Too bad.

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