Mayhem is Everywhere

Everyday we are bombarded with a constant flow of advertisements. Whether it is online, on television, driving, or at the bus stop, advertisements are nearly impossible to escape. So what is it about an advertisement that sticks out in our minds? Is it their sense of humor? Their catchy slogans or jingles? Or is it their appeal to emotion, logic and authority that make us remember them? Marketing researchers and advertisements use rhetorical situations to make their points clear, and to persuade their audience everyday. The “Mayhem is coming” campaign by Allstate Insurance is no exception. In one of their most recent commercials, the character of Mayhem (a man who dresses in a nice suite, and adapts to whichever chaotic event he is portraying), is a raccoon who has nested into your attic. Mayhem, as this raccoon, is having the “the best week of [his] raccoon life”, he’s playing in the insulation, having babies, chewing through wires, clawing at support beams, and of course, gnawing a massive hole in the roof to get in and out of.

Through Allstate’s character of Mayhem, they are making an effective argument - Mayhem is everywhere, so be better protected with us. The commercial provides visual arguments, appealing to not only pathos, but ethos and logos as well. With Mayhem being unpredictable, striking at an given moment, the consumer should be prepared for the inevitable. Allstate is able to make their point clear. Through Allstate’s Mayhem commercial, they are able to combine fear and indirect humor to discuss a serious matter, such as home insurance, which makes their advertisement not only memorable from other companies, but makes a clear argument that is persuasive.

Right from the start the use of humor, imagery, and sound plays on the audience’s emotions. The humor of mayhem dressed as a raccoon and doing these ridiculous things initially help captivate the audience’s attention, the writers set the commercial up for a more serious matter at hand - protecting your home. The dark images, with the flashes of light on the “raccoon” doing horrible things to this homeowners attic emphasizes the darkness/reality of the situation. When Mayhem is outside in the light, they bring up the Allstate information. This contrast sort of acts as a good and evil vibe - Allstate being the heros, and Mayhem being the villain. By choosing an everyday event that could happen to any homeowner, Allstate makes their point that much stronger - if you switch to Allstate, you will be protected from this “mayhem”. As well as the images the commercial lends, the sounds are just as effective at persuading the audience. While the noises he is making while his is shredding apart the attic also add to the chaos of the situation, they also evoke a feeling of shock that this is a realistic situation that could happen to anyone.

The Allstate commercial writers also make an excellent appeal to pathos and ethos through the character of mayhem himself, after-all, Mayhem is the sole reason these accidents happen in the first place. If the homeowners would have had Allstate they could have not only been better protected, but they also would have saved money. At the very end Dennis Haysbert says, “Dollar for dollar, nobody protects you from Mayhem, like Allstate”. If Mayhem can happen at any time, anywhere, how are you protecting yourself?

By creating a commercial that is not only entertaining, but persuasive, and relatable to everyday life situations, Allstate is able to create a solid argument as to why you should choose them. Through an effective appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos, Allstate drives home their argument that nobody gives quality coverage from mayhem like they do. This mix of humor and reality of Mayhem enables allstate to get their point across. Mayhem is everywhere, and without Allstate, you aren’t protected as well as you could be.