Advertising executives at Progressive didn't intend to create an icon when they aired their first commercial featuring the enthusiastic character Flo in 2008. Now, two years and tens of commercials later, actress Stephanie Courtney's surprising group of fans prompted the insurance company to offer up a walk-on role in one of her ads.
The search—which includes online submissions and events in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles—kicked off at Metropolitan Pavilion on Thursday and Friday, when more than 500 hopefuls lined up to audition in front of Flo herself. It also marked Progressive's first stab at event marketing.
"A lot of the people who see the store on TV actually expect to see it around," said Progressive marketing business leader Chris Owen, "so we thought it made sense to take that concept from the commercial, make a proper store, and bring it around the country. This is our first time with in-person marketing, but the campaign has just become so successful, we're trying to have a good time with it."
The fictional Progressive store was conceived with the company's advertising partner, Arnold Worldwide, so the Arnold team recreated the stark white aisles for the tour. They also integrated plenty of room to audition in different ways throughout the space.
In addition to the private booths where guests could film and submit their auditions electronically, a stage with three recording stations was set up at the far end of the mock store. Staffers escorted hopefuls onstage, where they could deliver the lines of their own choosing to Flo and two casting agents. And since Flo has acquired a bit of a rabid fan base, many of them came with homemade versions of her uniform and freestyle raps written in her honor.
Progressive didn’t want attendees to just audition and leave, though. To keep guests interested in the brand experience, producers set up stations where guests could play Flo-inspired games and lounge spaces where they could take a load off. And for those really in the spirit, there was also ample information about the company's insurance offerings readily available.
