The General

Background

The General is a Nashville-based auto insurance company that was founded in 1963 under the name Permanent General Agency. They would change their name to Permanent General Assurance Corporation (PGAC) before unifying their and other affiliated companies under its current name. The same year the company rebranded in 2012, they were acquired by American Family Insurance.

A1 General Insurance Agency

Contents

Tag (1998)

The General

Contents

1st Logo (July 25, 2001?-2005)	2nd Logo (December 6, 2006?-March 27, 2012)	3rd Logo (January 22, 2013-June 18, 2015)	4th Logo (December 15, 2014-April 16, 2018)	5th Logo (July 18, 2016-February 21, 2018)	6th Logo (December 19, 2019-October 7, 2020)	7th Logo (September 16, 2021-)

A1 General Insurance Agency

Tag (1998)

Visuals: On a white background, the company name in a stacked format and "GENERAL" in Times New Roman sits next to "A1" in white and against a red-white striped box. Both are inside an outlined black box with a shadow effect. The logo is on the bottom left side of the screen alongside the Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Network cards underneath. On top of them is the text:

Check the Yellow Pages for the
A1 General office nearest you.
Call
1-800-GENERAL

To the right of the logo is the General marching along, stopping underneath the "R" in "1-800-GENERAL". He turns to face the screen and raises a tan cellphone at the viewer.

Technique: Traditional animation.

Audio: It starts with two MIDI whistle sounds. Following this is a funky beat in the background and the General (voiced by Rick Sellers) saying "For the best car insurance rates in town, call 1-800-General now!".

Availability: Seen on the first General commercial, which aired during this period.

The General

1st Logo (July 25, 2001?-2005)

Visuals: The General is seen on the driver's seat on a vehicle (model varies depending on the commercial). After a few seconds, he drifts along.

The logo displayed on top consists of "THE" in ITC Stone Informal Semi Bold Italic font with a black shadow, next to five white stars, and are both inside a blue horizontal bar that disappears on the right. Underneath it is "GENERAL" in ITC Stone Informal Bold font on top of a thin white bar and the trademark symbol "TM" next to it. Below the bar is "AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE SERVICES INC." in white in ITC Stone Informal Medium font.

On the bottom of the screen, the company's website, and phone number in a gold-gold gradient, Times New Roman font, shadow effect, and "800" surrounded by parentheses are shown.

Variants: As described before, the animation sequence varies depending on the commercial:

At least most commercials have the General driving a red Jeep.
"Snowboard": In a snow setting, the General drives a gold jeep with a milkshake on the back seat.
"Dragster": the General is on a red racecar and speeding in a desert setting on a racetrack with red-white striped walls on the sides. The camera pans over to face the General before he zooms towards the camera, changing the shot to a back view of the racecar as it speeds away and releases a white parachute.
"Woodie": Same as "Snowboard" but it now takes in a sunny setting and the General is driving a red Jeep instead of a gold one.
A textless version of the "Snowboard" variant without any audio exists; it can be seen here.

Technique: CGI by Leonardo Kiyabu.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: Its earliest known appearance was on a commercial that aired on WBNX in late summer 2001. It was later seen on the "Dragster", "Snowboard" and "Woodie" commercials.

2nd Logo (December 6, 2006?-March 27, 2012)

2006 variant (version 1)
2006 variant (version 2)
2007-2009 variant (version 1)
2007-2009 variant (version 2)
2007-2009 variant (version 3)
"Kayak" variant (2007)
"Skydiving" variant (2008)
2008 variant
"The General Meets the Penguin" variant (2008-2009)
"Winner" variant (2009)
"Bungee Jumping" variant (2009)
"Roommates" variant (2010)
"Students Save On Auto Insurance" variant (2010)

Visuals: On a road setting in a sunny day and with trees in the background, the General is seen on a red convertible, driving to the left of the screen. When the vehicle stops, he waves at the viewer and then drives along.

As for the logo itself, it is the same as before but with a softer color palette and a transparent, outer glow. The website link and phone number are in Arial, the former is gold, and they are positioned on the right side of the screen.

Variants:

An early version has the background zoomed in and the sky consisting of timelapse clouds footage. The animation is higher-budget, the convertible is a more detailed vintage one and is at a different angle, the General has a different design and the website link is in a different, non-italicized font.
- On an unspecified ad in 2006, there are green bars on the top and bottom sections of the screen, the latter of which is thicker. The phone number is within the bottom bar and is center aligned.
Some commercials omit the phone number.
In 2008, the website link was colored green.
From 2008 to 2012, the outer glow was replaced with a shadow effect.
The font for "AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE SERVICES, INC." may change. For instance, it became Arial sometime in 2008 and then Times New Roman two years later.
One commercial exists where the phone number reads "1-877-GENERAL".
Some commercials (such as the "Bungee Jumping", "Skydiving" and "Kayak" ads) feature the General driving a blue jeep. The font for the website link and phone number are also Arial Black, slanted more and wider.
- On the "Kayak" commercial, a gold kayak is on top of the jeep. Plus, the text is the same as the normal logo but with the website link in green.
On most commercials, the General is wearing a blue suit.
On "Winner", the General is seen in a green suit and has his hands in the air in front of a green race car containing the company logo. The setting is now the finish line in a racetrack with three red flags on the top section of the screen.
On "The General Meets The Penguin", the setting is a snowy landscape, the General is wearing a parka and driving a dark blue jeep to the center. On the passenger seat is a penguin waving its head as the General delivers his line. When the General drives along, the jeep clips through the acreen. Additionally, the text underneath the thin white bar is black and the phone number is colored green.
"Age-Tickets Accidents No Problem" may appear next to The General. This line of text debuted in Spring 2010.
On the Summer 2010 ads, the General, alongside a penguin, is inside a bus within a desert setting. Next to it is the stacked text "Age-Tickets Accidents No Problem" and a smaller text "Some restrictions apply. Subject to underwriting guidelines". Underneath it is "Online Auto Insurance" next to the company's phone number and both are on top of The General's website.
- On "The General Holds a Factory Meeting", the setting is that of a forest.
- Another variant part of these commercials has the General marching along to a worker singing the company's jingle.
  - On "Saving Money on Car Insurance ROCKS", the restrictions disclaimer is placed above the "Online Auto Insurance" text and the "Age-Tickets" one is above "GENERAL".
A commercial starring Jon M. Wailin has it set in a canyon and the jeep has dark lighting.
On "Comedian Endorses The General Auto Insurance", the logo is on a dark highway at nighttime.
On "On the Beach with The General", the location is a cliff next to the coast.
On "Baseball", the General is driving a gray truck and is accompanied with a penguin.
In 2010, the logo received a change in animation quality which includes a redesign in the convertible and the General himself. Instead of waving at the viewer, the General salutes us and drives off. The logo was also slightly updated where the text is in Times New Roman and taller.
On Fall 2010 commercials, dark lighting is implemented on the convertible and characters.
One commercial from 2010 features the "GENERAL" text with no gradient.

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

2006-2008: Same as before, with additional sound effects added (i.e. the vehicle driving).
2007: A "1-877" variant of the jingle consists of a re-recorded line reflecting this new phone number change.
2007-2010: A militaristic version of the original jingle, with the line also being rewritten to say "For the best car insurance rates online, go to The General and save some time!".
2010-2012: A re-recorded jingle where the General delivers the line in a more excited tone in the last half. When the logo received an animation upgrade in late 2010, the jingle was rearranged to have an upbeat rock feeling to it. The General now says "For a great low rate you can get online, go to The General and save some time!". The delivery of the "go to The General" part is identical to the above variant.

Audio Variants:

On one commercial from 2006, we hear a jazzy fanfare and an announcer.
A few commercials (like one from December 13, 2006, for instance) have no sound effects.
On "The General Meets The Penguin", the 1998 jingle is slightly delayed.
- Sometimes, the 2007 jingle is used instead.
On one commercial from 2010, the rock rendition of the jingle from the next logo plays.

Availability:

Can be seen on many ads from this period. The earliest known commercial aired on December 6, 2006 on WEWS whereas another commercial early in this logo's lifespan was spotted on WKYC on December 13, 2006.
A few pre-2010 ads with the 1998 jingle aired on broadcast TV as late as July 2009; thus, they retained the jingle.
The 2010 variant can be seen on the "Baseball", "Budget", and "Roommates" commercials, the latter of which features the dark lighting variant.

3rd Logo (2010-June 18, 2015)

Visuals: It is similar to the 2010 variant of the previous logo but with several key differences: the logo is more simplified with "AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE SERVICES" simply reading "INSURANCE". The thin bar underneath "GENERAL" is also the same as said word. Alongside both objects and the bar containing "THE" and the five stars (now with more shading), they are a pure blue color.

As for the General's sequence, it is the same as before but with the convertible in a slightly darker shade of red and the standard background is that of the woods with a wooden fence and bushes along the road.

Variants:

The background may change on some commercials. For instance, "Quote Central" has a city landscape.
- Some commercials have the location be a savanna-like landscape.
- On "Disguised", the background is the outside of a neighborhood behind a tall, wooden fence and several small trees.
- On the commercial with the YouTube video title "Low Down-Payment and Monthly Payment Car Insurance", the logo is against a valley.
- On "Car Insurance Renewal to Stop Your Auto Insurance Blues", the background is a plains landscape with one tree on the right and a small fence in front.
- On "Happy", the location is the same as the "On the Beach with The General" ad.
"Anonymous Free Quote" may be added next to where the General salutes, plus the small text "Available online only".
- On "Low Car Insurance Rates with a Bad Driving Record", "2 Minutes or Less" is added underneath the above text.
- Another variant may have the stacked text "Age-Tickets Accidents No Problem" in place of the above text, plus "Some restrictions apply. Subject to underwriting guidelines" underneath.
- Yet another may also have the text read "Instant Proof of Insurance".
On the "Careers at The General" video, the logo is put through a warm filter.
On "Anonymous Quote from The General", a transparent blue arrow scrolls in from the left, containing the text "Low Cost Auto Insurance".

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A rock version of the previous jingle without percussions. Otherwise, it is the same upbeat rock variant from before.

Availability: Its earliest appearance was on a commercial titled "Anonymous Quote from The General" and was used on all adverts from 2013 to 2015 such as "Due Date" and the "Street Interview" ads. Its last appearance was on the "Careers at The General" video.

4th Logo (December 15, 2014-April 16, 2018)

Visuals: On a hilly, sunny setting, a side view of the General driving the convertible is seen with his left hand on the top door of the car. As he gets closer, the General looks at us and waves. Then, the camera turns to face the road off in the horizon as the convertible drives further away from the screen.

The logo graphic is also different: the text is white, the horizontal bar containing "THE" is removed, and the stars are gold. On the bottom of the screen, the left side consists of:

Free Anonymous
Online Quote
In Minutes

The right side has "Affordable Auto Insurance" on top of a teal button containing the company's website link and another button, this time white and hanging underneath the top one, having their phone number "(800) GENERAL".

Variants:

Sometimes, before the logo sequence plays, it starts with a closer shot of the General on the convertible talking to the viewer, saying "Get an anonymous online quote now!". He is also next to a stop sign. When he drives along, the background wipes to the normal logo.
On some commercials like "Happy New Year 2015 from The General", an alternate version of the website link is used with a green-like color and the "Affordable Auto Insurance" text, as well as "Free Anonymous Online Quote" removed.
"In Minutes" may be removed.
Starting with "Man Cave", most commercials use a more realistic version of the logo with more details, a down-to-earth color palette, and a different landscape, specifically a city in the background and the convertible is driving into a grassland with mountains miles away. A small disclaimer covering the company's headquarters is added underneath the "Anonymous Quote" text.
A Spanish version exists, translating the "Anonymous Quote", bottom disclaimer, website link, and phone number (now reading (855)5-GENERAL) to said language.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The upbeat rock rendition of the jingle from the previous logos.

Availability:

It made its debut on "Happy New Year 2015 from The General" and was later seen on "Sign Spinner" and "Neighbors".
The updated variant first appearaed on "Man Cave" and was soon featured on commercials that did not feature Shaquille O'Neal such as "Swipe Right", "Wedding", and "Commuter". Its last appearance was on "Just Minutes".

5th Logo (July 18, 2016-February 21, 2018)

Visuals: The background consists of the road on the side of a cliff with a wall on the left and a rocky mountain on the right, all within a sunset setting. The General is seen on the red convertible from the previous logos but this time is accompanied with Shaquille O'Neal. While the General does his salute, Shaq does various actions that vary in each commercial. After that, they drive along.

The logo now has a black outline, and the "Anonymous Quote" text is replaced with a disclaimer detailing the company's headquarters. The "Affordable Auto Insurance" section is intact but with the buttons in a darker shade and aforementioned text in a different font and no longer italicized.

Variants:

Shaq's actions in the logo varies depending on the commercial:
- "Insured": Wearing a gray sweater, Shaq nodded as the General says his line.
- "Anonymous Auto Insurance Online Quote in Minutes": Shaq and the General swap seats with the former in the driver's seat. Now wearing a blue jacket, he nods after stopping the vehicle and then smiles at the screen.
- "Fast Quote": Same action as before except Shaq is wearing a pink button-down shirt.
- "Weightlifting": The background has changed where a city landscape is on the left side a small, forest hill on the right. A metal rail is also on the left side of the road. Shaq is wearing a gray, sleveless workout shirt and raises both of his fists, showing off his muscles. He then looks at the General and then in the sky, displaying a wider grin as the convertible drives off.
- "Boxing": Same background as before and Shaq is in a different colored sleveless shirt. His hand is bandaged and, with them in the air, gleefully shakes them before looking at the General.
- "Imitators": Shaq, in a light blue button down shirt, is on the driver's seat and does the same nodding action in the "Anonymous Auto Insurance Online Quote in Minutes" ad.
Sometimes, the sun glows on the left side of the screen.
On commercials not featuring Shaquille O'Neal, he is removed from the logo, leaving just the General in the convertible. The background is the same as the "Weightlifting" ad.
On "Truck", the normal animation sequence is not used but the logo and bottom text are intact. The only exception is the bottom left text now reads "Let The General Make Life Easier".
- On "Problem Solved", the "Anonymous Quote" text is replaced with "Free Anonymous Online Quote In Minutes"

Technique: A mix of live-action and CGI.

Audio: Same as before but with added sound effects of the car stopping and drifting along.

Availability: Seen on several ads produced with Shaquille O'Neal, which include "Fast Quote", "Weightlifting", and "Insured". The variant not featuring him appeared on the "Cruising" set of ads such as "Cruising Girlfriends", "Cruising Surfers", and "Cruising Cowboys". Its last appearance was in "Problem Solved".

6th Logo (August 20, 2019-October 7, 2020)

Visuals: In a white room, a black version of the previous logo is displayed on the right center section, alongside its tagline "Make Life Easier" in ITC Stone Informal Medium Italic font, phone number, and website link underneath, the latter two of which are in Arial Black. Underneath both the General and text is a restrictions disclaimer. Speaking of the former, he walks towards the screen, points his finger towards the camera in a rigid way, and puts down his hand.

Variants:

Some commercials feature the logo sequence on the same setting of the commercial. The logo itself is centered and the phone number and website link are on the bottom left and right respectively.
- Some of these ads may also omit the General.
  - On "Have you lost your car insurance? No need to drive a hog", the logo is on the left side.
- On "Fast Car Insurance Quotes With Immediate Proof for Those With A Less Than Perfect Driving Record", the General is positioned on the right side.
- On "Best Cheap Car Insurance For Bad Driving Record", the General is holding a football and the logo is on the right side.
- On "Different Types of Insurance For The Most Awkward Moments Of Life", the General is holding a tray of three hamburgers, the top one of which has a misplaced bun. The logo is also positioned on the left side.
Beginning with "Different Types of Insurance For The Most Awkward Moments Of Life", the tagline is removed.
On "Shaq Couch Bound", the logo, without the General, is against a green background. In between the logo and website/phone number info is "Download the app now." alongside two buttons for the App Store and Google Play.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as before.

Audio Variant:

On a commercial featuring Snoop Dogg, a rap remix of the jingle is heard with said rapper singing the lyrics. The original jingle is partially sampled here.
On shorter commercials, the jingle is cut to where the General says "Go to the General and save some time!".

Availability:

Can be seen on "Date Night", "Grandma Scooter" (for the General-less variant), "BFFs", and more commercials within this period.
A few ads, despite having the music intact, do not have this logo. They include "The General Ring Commercial" and "Dinner".
It made its last appearance on "Acting / Cake".

7th Logo (September 16, 2021-)

Visuals: On a green background, the General is standing to the left of "For a great low rate" in white and on top of the company's phone number and website link, both of which are divided by a vertical bar. The text next to the General changes to the logo from before with basic wiping effects. The General pats the "L" in "GENERAL" and folds his arms as he gives a smile to the viewer.

Variants:

An early version adds a disclaimer detailing the site's exceptions (e.g. varying rates) underneath the phone number and website link information.
On Spanish commercials, the phone number and website link underneath the logo were removed and the disclaimer is in Spanish.

Technique: CGI for the General; 2D animation for the text.

Audio: The end tail of the commercial along with Shaquille O'Neal saying "For a great low rate and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, make the right call and go with The General".

Audio Variant: On shorter commercials, O'Neal just simply says "For a great low rate and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, go with The General".

Availability: Current; it debuted on the "Shoes" commercial and is seen on their most recent ads, which includes "Game Show", "Birthday", and "Deseo".