Insurance agencies have a lot of stakes when it comes to risk communication and prevention. After all, if people are ill-informed, insurance companies are the ones who have to pay the consequences, which can turn out to be very expensive. So, since Thanksgiving approaching, and with it the season with the most emergency rooms visits in the whole year, State Farm has taken accident prevention into their own hands.
State Farm released an ad about the correct method of frying a turkey. See, I never thought this would be an issue. I only eat turkey once a year, and thanks to my health-conscious mother, it is never fried. I had only seen Alton Brown frying a turkey (that man can fry anything and still look flawless). I had no idea the number of house fires and injuries caused by ill-fated frying attempts, but
According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), nearly 4,300 fires occur on Thanksgiving causing 15 deaths and almost $27 million in property damage, many of them due to deep-frying accidents.
State Farm’s ad, which I found hilarious and effective, features William Shatner (Capt. Kirk himself!) attempting to fry a turkey. He explains the proper method for frying turkeys, and the consequences of not following the method, in his over-the-top, dramatic style. It is hilarious!!! And it is also effective. I found my self thinking about the ad when I saw deep fryers in the supermarket. I may never fry a turkey (i better leave that to the pros, like Alton), but thanks to Capt. Kirk, I know the safe way to do it. Now, how do we get Team Picard on board?
