Entry #5, Mayhem: Cat Vs Insurance Agent


Cats... People either love them or hate them, but there is no doubt about it, cats can cause mayhem. An oddly accurate advertisement for Allstate Home Insurance features their spokesman, Mayhem, portrayed as a mischievous house cat. As most cats do, he lays on the couch, smacks his owner a few times, and even drops a dead mouse on his owner’s face in bed. I have a cat of my own and can relate to this dichotomy of living with a tiny tiger. While I find the hi-jinx laughable, it provides a solid argument for why you should check to see if your insurance company protects you from this type of mayhem. That being said, this advertisement, “Cat vs Insurance Agent”, sheds light on planning for things you cannot control, like your beloved pet wreaking havoc on your home.

This advertisement does a wonderful job of giving people an inside glimpse of the joys of cat ownership. While they are cute and soft, cats can cause some serious trouble if they are feeling bored or vindictive. This advertisement is targeted towards cat people planning for accidentals, as it certainly does not feature excellent selling points for getting a cat if you do not already own one.

  Image Source: Cats.com

The ad features Mayhem, the main character in most of Allstate’s ads, except this time, he is your cat. He peeks out from his cat tree, rides around on the Roomba, knocks things off the counter, and generally causes trouble for his owner. The silly part of it is, he is just his usual self in a suit with some bandages on his face. Cat ownership is a mystery to many, and seeing these endearing but serious parts of life with a cat definitely shows the clear dichotomy amongst the American masses. “Why would you ever own one of those things??” is something I imagine many people thinking when viewing this ad. As a cat owner myself, I giggled at many of the escapades Mayhem gets into, as I have experienced them myself. It’s one of those things you have to have experienced first hand to understand the fun that also comes with the moments of pure fear a cat can impart on you.

The design of the advertisement is relatable to the American public because of its setting. It features a stereotypical American suburban home. The couple in the ad that “owns” Mayhem the cat are definitely not the focus, which is pretty standard when it comes to cat ownership. Cats rule the home. The ad shows a sequence of Mayhem doing increasingly bad things, hissing, knocking things off the counter, and the main point that insurance would be helpful for, turning on the bathroom sink upstairs. Eventually, the sink overflows and falls straight through the ceiling. This section of the advertisement even has me rethinking if I need renters insurance.

Image Source: New York Times

Overall, while the advertisement itself is light hearted, funny, and relatable to cat owners, its powerful message of planning for accidentals cannot be missed. When I think of insurance, I think of natural disasters, car crashes, and house fires. This ad plays on an accident that is caused by a tiny creature you bring into your home, and generally don’t plan your insurance around. Whether you love or hate cats, this ad is sure to bring a smile to the audiences’ faces while also leaving viewers with two important takeaways: Cats are unpredictable, and a good insurance policy is very important.

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