Eagle Insurance
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Insurance |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Greater Chicago metropolitan area |
| Products | Vehicle insurance |
Eagle Insurance is a vehicle insurance provider located in Chicago, Illinois, serving the greater metropolitan region since 1961. The company is widely recognized for its unique, budget-friendly television advertisements featuring the egg-laying character known as the "Eagle Man," portrayed by an actor dressed in a bald eagle costume.
Advertising
The initial Eagle Insurance commercial, produced in 1993 by RDR Productions from Glenview, Illinois, depicts two women who hear a noise on their car's roof. Encountering Eagle Man due to their lack of insurance, they watch as he slowly speaks and lays an oversized egg that hatches a hand puppet revealing Eagle's affordable auto insurance rates. The women react positively to the competitive pricing, followed by an announcer outlining the coverage options offered by Eagle Insurance.
This advertisement quickly developed a dedicated fan base in Chicago, leading RDR to create multiple sequels, including one featuring "Eagle Woman" and a guest appearance by radio host Erich "Mancow" Muller. All commercials have Spanish-language versions, and a local radio "Eagle Man Rap" was broadcast for several years. More recently, RDR enhanced the original commercial with CGI effects emphasizing Eagle Man’s egg-laying act.
These commercials continue to be widely discussed within Chicago. In 2002, they earned the "Fool of the Year" accolade at the Noble Fool Theater's season opening and are often mentioned in regional media outlets. Nationally, they gained exposure through appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, The Soup, E!'s Wildest TV Commercial Moments, and a BBC documentary on American advertising. In 2007, Maxim Online ranked them among the "worst commercials ever." They placed fourth on The Smoking Gun’s worst list in 2010 and were featured on ABC News' Nightline during its 2011 "Slogans Gone Wrong" segment.
David Wechsler, who directed and produced these commercials, remarked on their surprising popularity: "Although I have created many high-profile projects for numerous clients, those familiar with me will always associate me with 'I've got something for you!'"
In 2019, the Chicago Blackhawks promoted their yearly summer convention by producing an authorized, frame-by-frame parody of the original Eagle Man commercial starring Patrick Sharp and Adam Burish.
See also
- Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet
- Empire Today
- Victory Auto Wreckers
- Moo & Oink
- Peter Francis Geraci
- Harold's Chicken Shack
- Walter E. Smithe
- Luna Carpet
External links
- Official website of Eagle Insurance
- Commercial profile at RDR Productions