How an Obscure 1971 Allstate Commercial Became the Best Wedding Present Ever

David Patinella had never seen the footage of his late father

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In 1971, Guisto Patinella, a science teacher in Kankakee, Illinois, was rear-ended by another car while giving a couple of students a ride to school. He was so satisfied with Allstate’s response to his insurance claim that he ended up starring in a commercial for the company.

Now, some 46 years later, the marketer has dug up that old ad, at the request of the family, as a surprise to play at the wedding of Patinella’s son, David.

Patinella’s

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