a person holding a sign
Source: Progressive Insurance.
Brian Cohen·
Fun
··39 Comments·2 min read

What is Wrong With This Photograph? Part 24

As I was writing a different article for The Gate and the television was operating in the background,  something which was not right in a commercial immediately caught my attention as I watched and listened to it; and I searched the Internet for a video of that commercial…

What is Wrong With This Photograph? Part 24

…and as I watched the video of that commercial — which was an advertisement for Progressive Insurance — I found at least one thing which seemed quite bizarre.

For this edition of this popular game, first please watch the video of the commercial, as its duration is only 30 seconds. After you watch the video, can you guess what you believe is wrong with this commercial…

a person holding a sign
Source: Progressive Insurance.

…or, if you prefer, the photograph which is shown above?

Please submit your answers in the Comments section below — and I enjoy reading creative answers.

Thank you in advance. As always, I cannot wait to read your answer and feedback.

See also

Summary

Past articles with which you can participate and play along with the What is Wrong With This Photograph? game include:

Source: Progressive Insurance.

Related

39 Comments

  4. The highway shield in the background places them in New York State, but I-70 doesn’t go anywhere near New York State?

    Reply

    1. You got that right ..
      NY 100 is in Westchester County & the only Interstate that comes somewhat close to is I-684..east of White Plains,NY

      Reply

    2. I live right off I-70 in Ohio, so when I heard this commercial (and since I like maps) it did catch my attention as I wondered where it was. I googled the street names and found this site, and realized that is a NY sign. And as you say, no where near NY.

      Reply

  5. First impression, he is standing in a ‘no standing’ zone.

    What is factually wrong when viewing the entire commercial? He is pointing the lost driver northbound onto NY-100, sending her away from I-70. Granted, even by the most direct route, I-70 (at Baltimore) is some 220+ miles southwest of the spinner’s location in Yonkers, but that’s only a minor detail, right? 😉

    What is artistically wrong? They forgot to change the NY Hwy 100/Fort Hill routing sign, given how much they changed (digitally?) the street names and the CVS, Nathans, Wells Fargo, etc., signage and storefronts in that strip mall.

    Actual filming location was at 6 Chisfield Street in Yonkers NY, or lat-lon 40.9758438 -73.8322144, if anyone is inclined to see how heavily they retouched the location. Google streetview link for the filming location: http://www.google.com/maps/@40.9758438,-73.8322144,3a,75y,38.65h,75.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdNUqmX0A50max1Ftto_4uA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

    (Side note for any of my fellow production continuity geeks, they forgot to change Famous Footwear’s store sign in the ‘Dad’ version of this commercial series, but did alter FF signage in the ‘Competitor’ version; fun fact, both of those commercials were filmed in the parking lot behind CVS, only 300 hundred feet east of this photo’s location — and this reply reminds me I was wrong to think @Brian had too much time on his hands for finding these various photos, when obviously it is I who has too much free time, LOL.)

    Reply

    1. I spent 2 hours trying to find a “Chaw Dawg” and a “The Swoosh store” I wish I would have found your post first. Lol

      Reply

      1. Same with me. I also noticed what looked like a Sprint store in that shopping center. The yellow boomerang logo is slightly visible.

        Reply

    2. My understanding is that it was filmed outside of Baltimore — which is where the agency is located.

      Also, the surrounding landmarks from the Yonkers address do not match up with the commercial.

      Reply

    3. Thanks Bob you gave me something to check out at 5:09 am. I live in the area and recognized if but couldn’t place it until you put me in the right direction. ☮️ Tom

      Reply

    4. “No Standing” in NY is for vehicles vice pedestrians, so all good there. Great job tracking this location down. I’d argue the the picture is fine, it’s the dialogue that’s in error.

      Reply

  6. Or neither, I read a comment from somebody that said they live there say the street and business names were changed. Yonkers, NY. Rt 100 does run there.

    I70 is east-west from Maryland to Utah.

    Reply

      1. Sorry, ignore last. Clicked post by mistake, before I was done editing my sub-reply.

        @Skyring, @Pete, and @Carl WV– Definitely not the correct answer to @Brian’s ‘what’s wrong’ question, but strongly agree with all of you that the star of this commercial without (digital?) makeup is still recognizable, but indeed looks quite different 😉

        Reply

  8. Interesting that if they chose to rename the street, that they changed it to “Rockland Rd”. When I saw all the signs I was guessing they were somewhere near Nyack NY. That’s why I wound up on this site — because I knew I-70 was nowhere near there (they would have been better off looking for I-87/287)

    Reply

  9. Around the corner from the actor, the bus stop is clearly consistent with the Westchester County (NY) “Bee-Line” system.

    Reply

  10. Note that Progressive headquarters are in a Mayfield VillagecOhio outside of Cleveland.

    They appear to have put the Mayfield Dr street sign up but did not remove the real street name.

    Reply

  12. New York State Route 100 (NY 100) is a major North–South state highway in Westchester County, NY. It begins parallel to Interstate 87 (I-87) at a junction with the Cross County Parkway in the city of Yonkers and runs through most of the length of the county up to U.S. Route 202 (US 202) in the town of Somers.

    Reply

  13. I live right off I-70 in Ohio, so when I heard this commercial (and since I like maps) it did catch my attention as I wondered where it was. I googled the street names and found this site, and realized that is a NY sign. And as you say, no where near NY.

    Reply

  14. So mainly a lot of map geeks here, and I am guilty. But only one comment really comes close to touching on the best part…. the lady at first is skeptical, but then he turns the sign around and she’s like “yeah, sure, I’ll trust this kind of strange kid holding the Progressive sign but not talking at all.”

    Love it!

    Reply

  15. The reason I’m writing this is because I called the location and my wife agreed with me. She searched and found this site.
    Saw this commercial for the first time just the other day. This is shown at the corner of Crisfield and Central Avenue northbound in Yonkers NY. Right near where they rebuilt Nathan’s, CVS, WellsFargo and a some pet supply store. All the store fronts have different business signs. The street sign that is partially blocked says Rt 100 and Fort Hill Road. Crisfield was changed to Mayfield. The blue sign is used to dedicate the street to someone and I forgot who that is but that is common in Yonkers.

    Reply

    2. I’m from Yonkers and I live in Cleveland off of mayfield rd. I noticed the area immediately. I thought I was mixing my two cities together

      Reply

  16. Shopping center behind guy holding sign has been changed,has a CVS & Nathan’s got dog drive thru.
    And for those crazy people NO STANDING road signs mean : You can drop people off or pick them up, but you still can’t load or unload things from cars or trucks.
    • These signs really mean not a loading zone.
    • In most cities, a No Standing sign means you can stop and wait, as long as the driver stays behind the wheel (and in some places, the car must keep running).

    Reply

    1. According to New York, the driver can’t get out, so I think the passenger could load or unload their baggage from the trunk or the back seat.

      Reply

    1. The road has duplicate names (and also the names are photoshopped). The name in green is probably the legal street name, and the name in blue is a “vanity” street name.

      Reply

  19. His sign his pointing to the left as the car pulls up, but is pointing to the right when she talks to him before he adjusts it to show her the direction to 70.

    Reply

  20. Please don’t poo on the road on Tuesdays. That’s where we store the pasta.

    Reply

  21. Wow I like the way the boot scoots around the boot scootin’ bend in that commercial! Talk to your daughter about handstands on the moon, it’s good for your posture.

    Reply

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