2006 Superbowl Ad Review: Ameriquest's 'That Killed Him'

Some ads just seem to keep people guessing right up until they (hopefully remember to) display their company logo at the end. When Ameriquest Mortgage Company aired their 'That Killed Him' ad during the 2006 Superbowl, it was just such an ad.

Running an ad that doesn't immediately make people think of your company can be a bit of a risk. A lot of people may not remember the ad or may not understand what the company was trying to say. Or, almost as bad, they may remember the ad perfectly - and never even know what company it was for.

The rewards can be great, though, if your ad catches people's attention. Becoming the topic of the next day's water-cooler chatter is clearly the goal, and I think Ameriquest pulled that off nicely.

Ameriquest's 'That Killed Him' ad doesn't make people think about mortgages. It was never intended to do that. Instead, the ad uses humor to make a point.

As a woman and her daughter are on their way to the hospital room to visit the girl's father, two doctors reviewing the father's case are having a bit of a fly problem. The younger doctor, in full man-mode, comes to the obvious conclusion. The fly must die. It is, after all, distracting their attention from their patient's care.

Ingenuity is not dead, the room is well stocked, and you guessed it, the defibrillator paddles end up in the doctor's hands. A quick, well-placed zap later the now-crispy fly lands on the patient's chest. Not one to leave a job unfinished, the young doctor leans over for a closer examination of the fly.

His announcement, "that killed him", is of course perfectly timed to match the arrival of the patient's wife and daughter.

Ameriquest's message is simple: sometimes situations aren't quite as they appear. They ran this ad to let potential customers know that they don't judge things on initial appearances. In saying that, Ameriquest is really trying to convince consumers that they will see them as a person, not a number (in this case, a credit score).
Was the ad effective? It certainly should be. The message was clear; the content was original and inventive enough to elicit a few chuckles. This is one not only for the water cooler, but also it is an ad that won't leave you groaning in not-again frustration every time it comes on the TV. Challenge to Ameriquest: wow us again in 2007