Fallon dusts off an appealing yet overdone concept for Travelers, with animals that would normally prey on each other lounging around the ol’ watering hole like furry BFF. The spot’s as convincing as could reasonably be expected, visually engaging and it certainly holds one’s attention until the end. That said, it’s also disingenuous on several counts. First off, we have a big insurance firm presenting a scenario downplaying life’s potential risks. Purchasing insurance only provides protection after the fact. That certainly doesn’t make it OK for lambs to laze around with lions — even metaphorically. Thus, the commercial seems to impart a false sense of security. Plus, the soundtrack is annoying and cloying — the kind of stuff you hear on PBS nature programs. That — plus the tagline, “Take the scary out of life” — gives the whole enterprise a childish, naive feel. Especially since, when it comes time for consumers to file claims, insurers themselves have been known to act like predators. –David Gianatasio
