A young homeowner suffering from parentamorphosis would likely start spouting arcane Scoville data as a wing-eating guest on The Hot Ones, all while making lame jokes about being “cool as a cucumber.”
Dr. Rick will do no such thing.
The longtime spokesman for Progressive Insurance, played by actor-comedian Bill Glass, takes a seat today opposite Sean Evans as the first brand mascot to submit to the show’s specific kind of culinary torture.
But the character, in trademark Dr. Rick fashion, gives as good as he gets. With his clinician’s eye and deadpan humor, he analyzes Evans with Rorschach tests and judges his wardrobe for signs of dad energy.
Spoiler: the cardigan-wearing, thermostat-monitoring Evans suffers from the common ailment of turning into his folks after buying his first house—the textbook definition of parentamorphosis.
Progressive sponsors the branded content piece—which serves as a companion to the latest episode of the popular digital series—continuing its ongoing strategy of embedding the character into pop culture scenarios.
Taking the faux therapist out of traditional advertising is in line with Progressive’s mandate to be “more consumer and culturally oriented,” according to Sade Balogun, senior business leader of brand experience.
The Hot Ones tie-in “provides a powerful way for us to open the aperture of how consumers see and interact with the brand,” Balogun told ADWEEK, noting that the insurance carrier will “continue to make these strategic investments in reaching new audiences with culturally and contextually relevant messages.”
Dr. Rick on the road
Today’s branded entertainment follows a July 4th appearance on Good Morning America, where Dr. Rick chatted with meteorologist Ginger Zee. His tips on how to host backyard barbecues and summer parties included ditching the punny aprons and stifling the weather observations.
