Vern Fonk Insurance

Stevenson Advertising was assigned by Vern Fonk Insurance to develop a new creative approach to market auto insurance for people who have had a DUI.

Assignment: Stevenson Advertising was assigned by Vern Fonk Insurance to develop a new creative approach to market auto insurance for people who have had a DUI.

Objectives: One of the main objectives of the assignment was to make consumers remember Vern Fonk Insurance as the place to get DUI insurance. Our goal was to become the dominant player in Washington for this category of insurance.

Strategy & Creative Execution: To achieve the objectives for Vern Fonk Insurance, Stevenson Advertising helped develop a crazy new Vern Fonk character. Although most consumers think the Vern Fonk actor, Rob Thielke IS Vern Fonk, he actually is the marketing director for the company and works at the Everett Vern Fonk office. Beginning in the early 90’s Rob began a series of strange but memorable commercials where he mimics Forrest Gump, he gets arrested while driving, he dances, raps, gets slapped, pretends to be an oil covered beached seal, is a bikini barista, etc. Over time, the Vern Fonk commercials with their iconic ending, “Honk when you drive by Vern Fonk” have reached cult fan status.

Media strategy: Television has been the strongest medium for Vern Fonk Insurance over the last 18 years. In the early days, nearly all the commercials ran after midnight on television stations throughout Western Washington, but over time have expanded to include dayparts throughout the day. In early 2010, Vern Fonk Insurance was invited to create strange little vignettes on Seattle’s Joe TV in early fringe and Rob appeared nationally on the Rachael Ray show as a guest.

Campaign Achievement: Vern Fonk is one of Seattle’s most well-known television personalities and the business has grown from two employees in a small office in Seattle in the early 90’s, to over 200 employees in 9 locations today. Besides the growth and high traffic for Vern Fonk Insurance, the company is also one of the strongest DUI insurance companies in the country.