Colonial Penn Commercials: The 6 Best (Past 20 Years)

Who hasn’t seen a Colonial Penn commercial? Only those who don’t watch TV I would bet!

Colonial Penn is a frequent advertiser, to put it mildly. The Company is a life insurer that primarily markets low-cost final expense insurance policies to seniors.

In this piece, you’ll find a sampling of Colonial Penn’s TV commercials over the years. After each video, we’ve included a short commentary on the ad.

In the comments, let us know which Colonial Penn commercial was your favorite (or if we missed it)!

Who Cares About Colonial Penn Commercials?

If Google search volumes are any indication, a lot of people do.

So, if you’re new to Colonial Penn, why not watch some commercials to understand what they offer?

How To Watch These Commercials

If you’re watching these commercials because you’re thinking about buying a final expense insurance policy, I’d recommend taking out a pen and paper.

Life insurance is not like tangible products that you can see and test.  The product (a written agreement) and its features are all made of words.

Therefore, it can be helpful to write down your thoughts and questions about the features of Colonial Penn’s life insurance plans while they are still fresh in your mind.

But without further ado, let’s get into the commercials!

Colonial Penn Commercial With Ed McMahon (1997)

It’s hard to dislike this Colonial Penn ad from 1997.

The intro features a group of older women discussing how Social Security provides a death benefit of only $255. “How are people our age supposed to pay for [a funeral]?” one of the women asks.

Unlike later ads, this Colonial Penn commercial relies on “social proof” to persuade consumers.  However, it does include a charming celebrity, as always, with Ed McMahon being featured in this commercial.

As you’ll see in our in-depth review of Colonial Penn’s $9.95 plan, life insurance from Colonial Penn is not nearly as cheap as it sounds.

Colonial Penn TV Commercial: “Call Sooner”

In this commercial, the latest Colonial Penn actor, Jonathan Lawson, makes the pitch.

The central theme in this commercial is to let people know that many procrastinate on a subject like life insurance.  But, those who pick up the phone and call will be relieved and glad they did.

It’s a convincing (and honest) argument, making this one of my favorite Colonial Penn commercials!

The Famous “Three P’s of Life Insurance” Commercials

This ad, whether hosted by Alex Trebek or Jonathan Lawson, is Colonial Penn’s most well-known TV commercial.

Actor: Alex Trebek

In this commercial, Alex Trebek introduces the three P’s of life insurance: price, price, price. It’s a memorable gimmick that has probably done well for Colonial Penn (given how long some version of it has been on the air).

If you want an accurate sense of what life insurance from Colonial Penn costs, see our in-depth guide on Colonial Penn life insurance rates.

Actor: Jonathan Lawson

Other than my slight preference for Jonathan Lawson as Colonial Penn’s spokesperson, there’s not much to say about this advertisement, as it’s essentially the same as the above.

Colonial Penn Rate Lock Commercial (2014)

“The Talk” TV Commercial

The intent of this commercial is similar to the one above titled “The Call” — to appeal to your emotions.

This ad tries to wake us up to our mortality and create a sense of urgency, and it’s pretty effective!

Conclusion

This site needed some light-hearted content, so we’re glad Colonial Penn allowed us to do so.

While the familiarity of these ads may make you feel comfortable with Colonial Penn, please remember that their policies are incredibly overpriced.

With carriers such as AIG or Great Western, you get everything you would with Colonial Penn — no medical exam, no health questions, level premiums, cash value, guaranteed approval, and more — but at a significantly lower price.

Check out our post on the pros and cons of Colonial Penn’s burial life insurance products to get a more comprehensive sense of whether this plan is right for you.

Finally, if you have any suggestions for commercials to add to this list, please don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments!

Warm Regards,
The GetSure Team