Sokolove on Scrubs
If you’re a fan of NBC’s hospital sitcom Scrubs (and, really, who isn’t?), you may have noticed an unusual cameo recently. The scene involved two lawyers. The first lawyer was the resident attorney Ted, whose wimpy antics are a recurring source of laughs on the show. And the other lawyer? None other than Jim Sokolove—the famous real-life personal injury lawyer who’s been starring in his own television commercials since the 1970s.
Now, product placement isn’t exactly a new concept, I know. We’ve all seen plenty of examples in television and film. (My personal favorite is the tongue-in-cheek montage in Wayne’s World that plays on Pizza Hut, Doritos, Reebok, Pepsi, and Nuprin in quick succession.) But this Sokolove plug is a new one on me. For one thing, Sokolove isn’t selling a product like pizza or sneakers—he’s selling a service. That’s unusual to begin with. But there’s something else going on. He’s also local—complete with a thick Boston accent—and his ads are typically low-budget and embarrassingly self-serious. He’s an expert at doing the Concerned Adult shtick. He’s so good, in fact, that over the years he’s practically become a parody of himself. And now he’s on Scrubs, parodying the parody?
Despite the weirdness, the cameo was actually a shrewd move on Jim’s part, in this blogger’s opinion. Sokolove’s bread and butter is personal injury—everything from auto accidents to mesothelioma. With that breadth of service, it pays for him to reach a lot of people. And Sokolove’s success owes a lot to his willingness to go where potential clients will see him—on TV. His approach may be more Bernie & Phyl than Bear Stearns, but it’s proven enormously effective over the years (I know who I’m calling if I find asbestos in my workplace!).
So, what’s next? Cy Sperling on The Simpsons? Ernie Boch on 30Rock? Stranger things have happened…
Posted by Simon on November 6th, 2007
Filed under Advertising, Fun, Legal, Marketing | No Comments »
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