Career
Vern Fonk Insurance is well known in the Pacific Northwest region for its humorous and off-color television commercials, which generally appear on local late-night television and have run since 1994. Vern Fonk died of a blood infection in 2006. The commercials, which typically parody movies and television shows as well as other Northwest personalities, were usually written by and starred Rob Thielke, manager of the Fonk agency office in Everett.
Due to Thielke’s prominence in the ads, he was commonly believed to be Fonk himself.
The company’s slogan, “Remember to honk when you drive by Vern Fonk,” ends each commercial. KCPQ, a FOX television affiliate in Seattle, put together a collection of Vern Fonk bumpers for JOEtv.
Rob Thielke died August 16, 2015 after a long battle with cancer. Young, Bob (2006-2006-09).
"Vern Fonk’s insurance ads became an icon in Seattle".
The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-2012-22. "By night he’s a wacko in television ads".
Seattle Post Intelligencer.
3 August 2006. Retrieved 2010-2002-02. "Rob Thielke, president and recognizable face of Vern Fonk Insurance, dies".
KCPQ Q13 FOX News. Q13 FOX News Staff.
18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.