For this extra credit assignment I chose a popular commercial of a multiline insurance company Esurance (see figure 1). This commercial was ranked #47 among other commercial aired during the season of Super Bowl XLIX by the USA Today.
Figure 1
Snapshot from "Sorta Mom" Official Ad
Source: Esurance Sorta Mom Official Ad. (2015, February 1).
It is quite difficult to decide whether it is a bad or a good commercial. On the one hand, "Sorta Mom" is a very funny and creative commercial, which is a good thing. On the other hand, it follows some gender stereotypes, which is definitely not a good point. However, the commercial clearly indicates the company's product, states the benefits of purchasing it. It also provides further details and contacts for people interested in purchasing the insurance by Esurance. All of these are characteristics of a good and clear commercial.
What is more, Lindsay Lohan, who is quite a popular celebrity, starred in the "Sorta Mom" commercial. However, the involvement of a celebrity does not always ensure immediate success of a commercial. I should admit that the involvement of Lindsay Lohan turned out to be quite a controversial matter.
All in all, taking into consideration the stereotypes that "Sorta Mom" promotes, this commercial seems to be rather negative than positive.
The target audience of this commercial is all citizens of the U.S., without regard to age, gender or social status, who own cars and want to be fully insured.
"Sorta Mom" commercial definitely follows some widespread gender stereotypes and social perceptions. In the first place, it promotes the stereotype that all women are bad drivers. Lindsay Lohan, a celebrity starring in the commercial, "is seen speeding past a parked yellow school bus and plowing through a "School Zone" sign, destroying the grill of her car, as its front license plate hangs on for dear life" (Heller, 2015). I guess that for this reason men ranked this commercial higher than women did.
The commercial also follows the stereotype that women are considered to be full time mothers and housewives, whose only responsibility is taking care of their kids.
In my opinion, a lot of American mothers may be offended by the "Sorta Mom2 commercial for several reasons. First of all, not all of women are bad drivers. In fact, statistic data proves that men but not women are more likely to cause accidents on the road.
Secondly, the majority of mothers are responsible, thoughtful, and careful, while Lindsay Lohan is portrayed as a careless mom. Moreover, taking into consideration the celebrity's reputation, she is definitely not the best actress to play the role of a good mother.
What is more, Lindsay Lohan says in this commercial, "Hey, I'm sorta your mom. We are both 25-35 years old". This phrase may be seen as offensive to women who are older than 35 years old.
All in all, this commercial veiledly suggests an idea that all mothers are characterless housewives, which may be offensive to women who work full-time, take care of their kids, and even find time to make the family's house a real home.
Works Cited
Esurance Sorta Mom Official Ad. (2015, February 1). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIey1MTsS9w
Heller, C. (2015, February 1). Lindsay Lohan Plays Terrible Driver in Super Bowl Ad-Watch! Retrieved June 29, 2015, from http://uk.eonline.com/news/620644/lindsay-lohan-stars-in-super-bowl-2015-esurance-commercial-as-a-terrible-driver-and-sorta-mom-watch
