State Farm so far is sticking with Aaron Rodgers, despite rising public pressure to sever the relationship with the quarterback mired in a COVID-19 vaccine controversy. On Monday, the insurer issued a new statement that appeared to exhibit support of Rodgers, who has long been its spokesman.
"Aaron Rodgers has been a great ambassador for our company for much of the past decade. We don’t support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view," a State Farm spokeswoman said in a statement. "We recognize our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many issues. Our mission at State Farm is to support safer, stronger communities. To that end, we encourage vaccinations, but respect everyone’s right to make a choice based on their personal circumstances."
Despite State Farm’s stated support, the insurer appears to be pulling back from airing spots featuring Rodgers, including a recent game show-style ad. That Rodgers ad aired only three times on Sunday; in comparison, a State Farm spot featuring spokesman Patrick Mahomes, whose Kansas City Chiefs were playing the Packers (without Rodgers), ran 33 times Sunday, according to iSpot tracking data.
When asked Friday about the state of the insurer's relationship with Rodgers, State Farm had said it would be focusing on ads featuring Terry Bradshaw over the weekend.
Even as he was appearing in a State Farm ad, Bradshaw was ripping Rodgers during Fox's NFL coverage.