Brutal and Effective: C. Fred Tarver’s Advertising Campaign

“These four men have one thing in common…”

Who would you rather buy insurance from if you live in Alexandria, Louisiana. Fred Tarver? How about C.F. Tarver? Wait, what about Cleston Tarver? Or C. Fred Tarver?

For close to three decades, residents of that city were familiar with Tarver’s repetitive ad for his State Farm insurance business. Tarver began advertising in the Alexandria Town Talk in 1963 but didn’t immediately hit upon the genius of this scheme untilĀ a year later. Then, much like the Geico ad campaign that shoves a gecko and the promise of saving 15% of more on your car insurance in front of your face, Tarver kept it up, year after year. It’s completely nonsensical and has nothing to do with insurance, but it catches your attention, even decades later.

Tarver 1964

Tarver 1967

Tarver 1993

By Lee Wallender

Deception, influence, fakes, illusions, themed environments, simulations, secret places, secret infrastructure, imagined places, dreamscapes, movie sets and props, evasions, camouflage, studio backlots, miniatures.

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