Don't worry - you don't need to understand Russian to get the point of this clever Russian auto insurance ad. It uses fun special effects to make the point that some insurers will go to great lengths to avoid you when you have an auto insurance claim. If you are having trouble finding an insurer that will be there when you need them, that's where your local independent agent can help!
These two insurance ads from Travelers are ones from the archives, but they both do a good tackling the topic of risk in a whimsical but enlightening way:
And Seinfeld's George Costanza also tackles the topic of risk management - somewhat less successfully so!
You have to admit - jolly old St. Nicholas runs one heck of a business operation. He employees a huge number of elves and maintains a herd of reindeer. He runs a factory that operates 24/7, along with a busy warehouse and shipping operation. He has at least one specialty vehicle, although we suspect he also needs some back-ups. Like any good business person, he needs solid insurance coverage to protect the business should anything go amiss.
Gregory Boop of About.com's business insurance page has previously discussed the various types of insurance coverage that Santa Claus needs.
First, as an employer, he is mandated to have workers compensation overage for his elves. And to be a good employer, he should also provide health insurance, too. The elves are pretty loyal workers - to show appreciation for this, Santa should consider disability insurance and some type of retirement planning, such as 401k options.
We agree that he needs commercial general liability coverage, as well as product liability coverage. Gregory suggests that Santa needs commercial auto insurance and a specialized equipment rider ... but we are not so sure we would classify Santa's sleigh as an auto - we think it might be better for Santa to have aircraft coverage. He might also benefit by travel insurance and pet insurance for the reindeer. Gregory also suggests that Santa should have key man coverage on himself since he is so essential to the operation. Good idea.
Now apart from the needs of his business, Santa himself has some specialized insurance needs. He needs a heck of a life insurance policy and it poses some significant challenges for his insurance agent. He's getting on in years, he's overweight, he's been known to smoke a pipe and drink brandy, and he's got a lead foot when driving his sleigh. He also faces a lot of on-the-job hazards. Even before that big day of the year, he travels to thousands of shopping malls and meets millions of kids. This year, that means he is at heightened risk for the H1N1 virus. Not to mention all the other hazards that Santa faces - he can be exposed to everything from back strain while lifting kids to a wet lap caused by terrified children. It's hard to believe, but not everyone loves Santa.
Now we know that Santa has already given some thought to his insurance coverage because we read a few years ago that he has insured his trademark beard with Lloyds of London. That's a good start, but today, he'd do well to have insurance against identity theft, too.
Santa, we're worried about you. Call your agent, we can help!
Homeowners & Santa Claus
And what about you as the host? Are you properly covered to entertain a V.I.P. like Santa in your home? What if your dog bites Santa or he gets stuck in your chimney - are you covered against these or any other mishaps while he's on your property? If you have homeowners insurance or rental insurance, the personal liability and medical payments portions should cover you, but you may want to check your coverage limits and deductibles. If you are hiring a Santa stand-in for a party, there are some other things you should consider to limit your liability: Covering the Santa Clause.
If you plan to leave any sweets out for the big guy, Mrs Claus issues this plaintive plea: Please skip the cookies - Santa has a weight problem. Consider leaving a healthier snack. If you decide to leave cookies out anyway, you may want to get Santa to sign Christmas Cookie Liability and Indemnification Agreement (PDF). And something that should go without saying - don't leave any wine or brandy out - you don't want to be liable if a tipsy Santa leaves your house and has a DUI accident!
Happy holidays to all - we'll see you in the new Year!
This is a jokey video to promote a brand of sneakers, but the idea of insuring specific body parts is not totally farfetched ... celebrities have been known to insure body parts ... Jimmy Durante had a $50,000 policy on his distinctive nose and Betty Grable had a million dollar policy on her famous legs. Larry Getlen has an amusing article on the topic at Bankrate: Celebrity body parts: Million-dollar thighs and smiles
When we posted our list of tips to help you prepare for a healthy and safe Halloween earlier in the week, we overlooked one important and growing threat: zombies. As we approach a weekend of goblins and ghouls, are you sure you're adequately covered against the growing threat that the undead pose? It is suspected that each year, untold millions are lost in personal property damages - but generally, traditional insurance companies won't recognize claims for zombie-inflicted damage.
Never fear, as your trusted agents, we're looking out for your interests. We go to great lengths to source those hard-to-find coverage options - so we are pleased to introduce a new protection plan, My Zombie Insurance. Their tag line says it all: "Zombies don't care. We do."
Of course, as with all coverage, we think it's important to ensure you have a range of options to choose from, so here's a brief video clip about another choice from the Life Group National Zombie Insurance Fund - "for when the undead come knocking at your door."
It's Friday before what will be a 3-day weekend for many, so we are feeling frisky ... a good time to add a few wacky insurance ads to our growing ad portfolio. Bizarre as they are, these are actual ads that attracted an almost cult-like following in the Chicago area in the early 1990s. They've proven pretty popular on the Web, too - see why.
The Dutch insurance company Centraal Beheer is well known in Europe for their humorous TV commercials in which the characters are put in precarious positions - the implied message being "Is your insurance up to date? Call us." You can learn more about the company and the commercials on the Wikipedia page for Centraal Beheer's. Here's a sampling of a few commercials:
It's summertime, it's Friday - who wants to read anything serious? Check out these great ads from Bangkok Insurance that cleverly illustrate the concept of probability.