Insurance Mascot Mojo: Who’s Winning the Ad Wars?
Liberty Mutual's LiMu Emu and Doug emerged as the winner for ad breakthrough, per a MarketCast analysis.
Mascots can play an important role in advertising by creating memorable brand identities and fostering emotional connections with audiences. And these days, some of the most recognizable mascots belong to insurance companies: Liberty Mutual’s LiMu Emu and Doug, Allstate’s Mayhem and Flo from Progressive.
Insurance brands often leverage these characters in humorous or silly situations to connect with consumers and (hopefully) move the needle, but recent data from MarketCast – reported first by AdAge – suggests that just being likeable or engaging isn’t enough. To break through, ads need to balance the fun with strong visual and/or audio branding and clear, memorable messaging. (Are you hearing the Liberty, Liberty, Liberty jingle in your head yet?)
MarketCast’s Brand Effect measured all insurance ads featuring mascots or brand icons from Jan. 2024 through Feb. 2025 via a daily survey of 20,000 consumers to see which ones stood out for ad breakthrough, ad recall, branding and messaging. Liberty Mutual’s LiMu Emu and Doug emerged as winners in several of those categories.
- For ad breakthrough (remembering both the ad and brand correctly), Liberty Mutual’s LiMu Emu and Doug performed +9% above the norm. Allstate’s Mayhem was +4% and Progressive’s Flo and Jamie were both +3% above the norm.
- Allstate’s Mayhem came out on top for ad recall, performing +5% above the norm, followed by the Geico Gecko (+3%). Progressive’s Dr. Rick and Liberty’s LiMu Emu were tied at +2%.
- Liberty Mutual scored double digits above the norm for both branding (+18%) and messaging (+16%).
- When it comes to pure likeability, Allstate’s Mayhem wins, performing +8% above the norm, followed by Dr. Rick from Progressive (+4%).
MarketCast notes that for Allstate, “Mayhem’s signature blend of chaos and sharp humor keeps audiences hooked. With unpredictable plotlines and a rebellious streak, it continues to break through the clutter, proving that a little destruction goes a long way in making an ad unforgettable.”
