State Farm is doubling down on a messaging strategy that dings rivals for inferior service at Super Bowl LX, with the brand running a 60-second spot in the coveted first ad position of the printed’s first quarter. For its big game play this 12 months, the insurance marketer is swapping out recent DC Comics-inspired creative for something more musical but still brimming with Hollywood stars who can appeal to a big selection of viewers.
“Our goal is business value,” said Alyson Griffin, head of promoting at State Farm. “We use celebrity to interrupt through in culture and we use celebrity for the bigness to satisfy the moment, which is Super Bowl.”
In a teaser video released Monday, Hailee Steinfeld sits down for an appointment with a pair of agents played by Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key on the fictional Halfway There Insurance firm. The “Sinners” actor asks if their business is similar to State Farm. The comedic duo then launch into a parody of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” tweaking the lyrics to emphasise that they aren’t willing to go the additional mile for purchasers. For example, Bon Jovi’s “Tommy used to work on the docks” becomes “We barely cover boats by the dock.”
At the top of the teaser, McBride and Key are joined by pop group Katseye as Steinfeld admits she should’ve picked State Farm and a “to be continued…” cliffhanger guarantees more to come back on Feb. 8. “Livin’ on a Prayer” celebrates its fortieth anniversary this 12 months and is endemic to sports culture as a stadium anthem, which made it the proper fit for State Farm, in accordance with Griffin.
State Farm previously introduced McBride and Key’s characters throughout the NFC and AFC Championship games in January and has arrange a website for his or her imaginary competitor. In addition, the brand is running out-of-home ads and social and digital content that leans on its celebrity talent to succeed in different generations of consumers.
“There’s still more that might be revealed on game day and more spots all year long,” said Griffin.
The campaign will extend beyond the Super Bowl into other occasions like March Madness and the FIFA World Cup. Agencies TMA, OMD, Infinity Marketing Team, FleishmanHillard and This Machine are behind the trouble.
Doubling down
State Farm created a splash last 12 months by illustrating the ways in which rivals come up short using superhero iconography. In the ads, people in tough spots who expect Batman to come back to their rescue are as an alternative greeted by Bateman — that’s, actor Jason Bateman — whose comparative normalcy is comically ill-suited to combating crime.
“Having insurance isn’t the identical as having State Farm,” the commercials argue, just as getting Bateman when one needs Batman invariably results in disappointment.
The Halfway There Insurance concept effectively replaces “Batman vs. Bateman,” which was made with agency Highdive and originally intended as a Super Bowl spot before the wildfires in Southern California led the corporate to pivot its plans to March Madness. “Batman vs. Bateman” went on to generate acclaim, including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Commercial. State Farm’s last Super Bowl appearance, a 2024 spot that riffed on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent, also topped USA Today’s closely watched Ad Meter rankings.
State Farm is capable of be more deliberate in developing its marketing platforms and celebrity partnerships since it isn’t beholden to quarterly earnings, because it operates as a mutual insurance company, in accordance with Griffin. The executive desires to avoid what she described as “random acts of promoting” that deliver a short-term pop in attention but don’t contribute to long-term brand constructing. Super Bowl ads have been criticized through the years for overusing celebrities who don’t have a clear connection to the product or relevance to the campaign message.
“We should make really, really tight use of the dollars and subsequently should make decisions yearly based on what we’re trying to realize and who we’re trying to succeed in,” said Griffin, who added State Farm assesses the Super Bowl opportunity on a year-by-year basis.
State Farm is attempting to seed more excitement for the campaign by having Katseye promote the upcoming industrial during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. The stakes for the Super Bowl remain high, with 30 seconds of national airtime carrying price tags of as much as $10 million. In State Farm’s case, it’s making the opening promoting salvo during a night that is certain to be filled with other A-listers and high-concept creative.
“You’ve got 110 million — perhaps it’s going to be more this 12 months — eyeballs they usually’re actually watching commercials,” said Griffin. “We want to satisfy that moment in a way that’s fun, but importantly, educational as well.”
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