She Sheds in Ads: A Chichi-er She Shed

Have you caught this ad? It’s really funny and brilliant on several levels.

Nicole J. Butler, aka Cheryl, has hit more fame from her role in the State Farm commercial about a burning she shed, than from any other role she’s played. The commercial has aired 33,000 times and viewed more than a million times on YouTube.

Here’s the gist: A couple is standing out in their backyard watching a pretty she shed go up in flames. The woman is calling her insurance representative to make sure her she shed is covered and he assures her it is. She happily informs her husband that she will be getting a “chichier she shed.” His response makes you want to hit replay over and over again.

Why is it brilliant? Well first of all, hats off to State Farm, a company smart enough to know how important she sheds are. Damn right they should be insurable. All the blood, sweat and tears that go into making a comfortable little place to relax. The building! The painting! The decorating! The landscaping!

Secondly, the shed cleverly portrays many of the crucial elements of a well-designed space. Even though it’s ablaze, the shed is clearly very fancy, with a small center table, lots of flowers and a requisite chandelier. It’s placed well away from the house for privacy.

And finally, the relationship between the husband and wife is so comical. He’s not really very happy about the whole situation – the fire, his wife’s eager plans to build again. But you know he’s going to do the right thing; he just has to express himself. And we’re OK with that.