Virtually everything in your life is trying to sell you something. If you so much as think about streaming a movie, chances are you’ll be inundated with idiotically smiley actors pedaling prescription medications and unlikely animal friends selling you beer. You know what else you’re sure to see? Car insurance ads — advertisement after advertisement telling you how you can save money on your car insurance policy using memorable mascots like Allstate’s accident-prone Mayhem.

But let’s face it: Insurance mascot work can be a difficult industry. Even if you don’t make policyholders’ skin crawl, you may find yourself out of a job. Take Snoopy, for example. MetLife dumped the beloved Peanuts character back in 2016 after more than 30 years of representing the insurance provider. As it turns out, having your own Macy’s Day Parade balloon is no guarantee that the animated phone will keep ringing. That’s the case for many ill-fated car insurance mascots.

You may not find huge insurance companies like State Farm on the list of Consumer Reports’ six best insurance companies picks. You will, however, find some of their now-discontinued mascots here, like Erin of Esurance and the oft-forgotten OG Jake from State Farm. Fans’ cringey responses to Erin may have cut her career short, while the bland, khaki-clad Jake had to make room for a pro. 

Read more: 7 Of The Weirdest Cars Owned By Celebrities

Insurance companies killed off secret agents, khaki-clad insurance salespeople, and eagles

If you turned on a television 20 years ago, you likely caught a glimpse of Esurance’s short-lived cartoon mascot, Erin. Need a reminder? Well, she was the brand’s cat suit-wearing secret insurance agent who spouted off the “quote, buy, print” line. Here’s the thing, though: she was a hit. She was so popular, in fact, that the internet immediately perverted her into an onslaught of amateur-made porn. Esurance hasn’t gone as far as to admit that the smut led to Erin’s demise as a mascot, but the crass internet response to the character couldn’t have helped. Be it the result of pornography or declining popularity, Esurance retired the insurance-selling secret agent in 2010. 

“Uh, khakis.” It’s the two-word response that launched State Farm’s red-clad mascot, Jake. But Jake wasn’t always played by professional actor Kevin Mimms. Back in 2011, the original was portrayed by Jake Stone, a real-life State Farm employee. But Jake Stone’s boring ol’ role in the ad campaign came to an end in favor of Mimms’ delivery. State Farm’s then-assistant vice president of marketing, Patti Morris, was more tactful when addressing the update. “This expanded role is very demanding and is best filled by a professional actor,” Morris told Muse.

Then there’s the confusing work of “Eagleman,” an anthropomorphic bird of prey and once mascot of Illinois’ Eagle Insurance. Eagleman was such a creepy sandwich overflowing with what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch vibes, that he doesn’t seem like the kind of insurance rep you’d want when staring down one of the worst car insurance stories you could imagine. 

That leaves plenty of (arguably awful) car insurance-pedaling mascots

Eagleman, Erin, and original Jake aren’t alone either. Everyone knows Flo, the human face and bubbly representation of Progressive’s advertising efforts. Since 2008, the brand has doubled down on Flo, adding the always goofy Jamie and a crew of comedic insurance agents. However, Flo and company didn’t get all the airtime — Progressive launched a short ad campaign featuring a depressed sign spinner. After a few ads wherein the morose sign holder is short with another human advertisement and awkwardly chats with his dad, the character seemed to just disappear, just like your affordable rates when you get a speeding ticket. 

See? A handful of mascots were done in by their over-the-top cringeyness, boring, albeit real-world looks, or, in the case of Erin Esurance, the creepy amateur animations that followed. Scores of other crappy characters remain, though. And some of them have serious fan bases. For instance, despite their schmaltzy, corny on-screen appearances, Liberty Mutual’s LiMu Emu and Doug resonate with viewers, topping ad breakthrough ratings among insurance mascots. Even the cringey combination of flightless bird and boring guy seems to succeed in the world of insurance sales. 

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