Behold the ‘Donnie Darko’ of insurance ads

Advertising isn’t usually adept at capturing complex emotions, so it was a real pleasure today to see this Farmers Insurance spot by Campbell-Ewald. In showing a man’s reaction to his stolen car, this spot walks a difficult line between sincerity and entertainment. As one of millions of Americans who’ve had a car stolen, I appreciate how the spot illustrates the unique way each of us reacts—often irrationally—to the experience. Personally, I was left feeling more irate than vulnerable, but that might just be because Verizon billed me for the utility pole that was destroyed when my stolen car hit it at 100 mph.