About a month ago, I turned 30. We Millennials like to think that we age about 1.6 times faster than other generations, so 30 is actually about 50 in Millennial years. As soon as I neared the dreaded 3-0, I was inundated with messages reminding me that I’m getting old. I mean it. Facebook trolled me for months leading up to my birthday with listicles like “30 Things You HAVE to do With Your Finances Before You Turn 30 or You’ll Never Retire. Ever.” and, “30 Places You HAVE to Visit Before you Die (aka Turn 30 Because Your Life is Pretty Much Over.)” It was pretty dire.
The world’s largest and most sought out generation is growing up (much to our dismay) and brands are eager to figure out how to continue engaging us as we ditch our avocado toasts and 6-hour brunches for cars and (possibly) houses.
Progressive is one such brand attempting to tap into this emerging component of the Millennial psyche. In an effort to advance their reputation as a home insurer, Progressive has introduced their “Parentamorphosis” campaign in which they spotlight the harsh reality that, at some point, we will become our parents. And while Progressive can’t stop that from happening, they can make sure that our resistance doesn’t happen in the form of a bad home and auto insurance policy. According to AdAge, Progressive conducted more than a year of research and sought the help of a behavioral psychologist to come up with a concept that would have broad appeal. A spokesperson for the brand said the campaign has been their most successful effort without their iconic spokeswoman, Flo.
One of the campaign ads, a TV spot titled “Group Session”, recently caught my eye… socks with sandals? Grilling everyone in the family about the “massive” utility bill? Refusing to throw away electronic devices you haven’t used in 10 years? There was my dad, and thus followed my ad recall. Bravo, Progressive. This Millennial is paying attention.