HONK FOR FONK

August 18, 2015 2:27 PM

Anyone who watches late-night TV in the Puget Sound region is likely familiar with the commercials for local high-risk insurer Vern Fonk Insurance (previously). For twenty years Robert Thielke, a longtime employee who was named president of the company in 2013, has been the face of Vern Fonk in all of its advertising. He passed away Sunday after a long struggle with cancer.

The ads ranged from bizarre holiday greetings to countless pop culture parodies to stranger concepts. You can see many of the (sometimes offensive) ads on Thielke's youtube channel. The company will be rerunning some of the most well-known ads at his family's request.

Take that to the bank!

posted by edeezy (16 comments total)

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posted by spinifex23 at 2:29 PM on August 18, 2015

Aw man. Vern Fonk commercials are the best thing about late night insomnia.

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posted by palomar at 2:33 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by tofu_crouton at 2:37 PM on August 18, 2015

Been a while since I've lived out west. Been even longer since I had a TV. Still, reading this on the front page flooded my senses with deep memories of late nights and teenage psychedelic use. Remember to honk indeed, good sir. Farewell and good night.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:59 PM on August 18, 2015

Oh Fonk no!

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posted by riverlife at 3:02 PM on August 18, 2015

Aw. It's been 8 years since I lived in Seattle, and I didn't own a TV for many of those years, but somehow those ads got stuck in my memory.

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I had no idea that wasn't actually Vern Fonk in the commercials.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:21 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

. (honk)
posted by smidgen at 3:26 PM on August 18, 2015

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posted by litlnemo at 3:28 PM on August 18, 2015

* *
^--- honk dots
posted by salishsea at 3:30 PM on August 18, 2015

awwww.

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posted by lkc at 3:35 PM on August 18, 2015

I used to honk when I drove by Vern Fonk, heading from U-District through downtown via the I-99 SB entrance at 38thish and Stone Way, where VF used to be located. This man was the reason.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:36 PM on August 18, 2015 [5 favorites]

As a 25 year resident of Seattle, this is sad. Don't watch much TV, but when're I do, here comes some totally bizarro ad, which you know almost immediately, is going to have to be a Vern Fonk.

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posted by Windopaene at 3:56 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

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posted by cashman at 4:01 PM on August 18, 2015

Aw man, those are some amazing commercials he made. What a legacy!
posted by oceanjesse at 5:10 PM on August 18, 2015

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posted by kaiseki at 9:17 AM on August 19, 2015

I am sad to hear this as well.
posted by y2karl at 2:29 PM on August 19, 2015