State Farm enlists Jimmy Fallon for biggest campaign in three years

Four months after adding Highdive to its agency roster, State Farm is debuting its first work from the new relationship—a star-studded push that is the insurer’s largest campaign in at least three years. The Bloomington, Illinois-based company also announced that it is bringing on comedian Jimmy Fallon as “creative collaborator.” The host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” will appear in marketing including a spot that will run during NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Called “The Right Kind of Magic,” the campaign gives more prominence to the insurer’s iconic “Like a Good Neighbor” than it has had in years. Ads highlight how State Farm agents can help customers deal with unexpected obstacles and situations. Longtime spokesman Jake from State Farm also appears in spots, as do rapper Ludacris and new brand ambassador Caitlin Clark, the college basketball player whom State Farm added to its athlete roster last month. More news: Women’s sports are succeeding with Gen Z “We have an opportunity, in the way only we uniquely can to talk about how State Farm can help, to use famous and familiar faces who are singing the jingle and partnering with Jake,” said Kristyn Cook, State Farm’s senior VP and chief agency, sales and marketing officer. “We’ll be there to meet [customer] needs however they want.” The jingle was originally written by Barry Manilow a half-century ago. In a 30-second spot debuting on TV on Thursday, Fallon is erroneously summoned when a young woman receives a new car. The Ludacris ad follows a similar theme that plays on his name. Clark’s commercial, a co-branded effort with the Big Ten college athletic conference, will air Friday. Also included in the campaign is Fox Sports and Amazon Prime NFL sideline reporter Charissa Thompson, who will appear in an ad debuting during Prime's Black Friday game. Her appearance in the campaign comes amid controversy surrounding her recent admission on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that she has at times fabricated reports. In an Instagram post on Friday, she stated that she “chose wrong words to describe the situation,” adding that “I have never lied about anything or been unethical during my time as a sports broadcaster.” Highdive handled the creative concepting of the campaign and also played a key role in the renewed prominence of the brand jingle. “The brief from State Farm was, ‘Let’s make the jingle famous again,’” said Chad Broude, co-founder and co-chief creative officer at Chicago-based Highdive. He noted that State Farm previously saw a lot of awareness on social from its brand song. “It’s a viral opportunity of what it could bring,” he said. State Farm maintains relationships with other agencies on its roster, including The Marketing Arm, which handled social media, and Translation, which worked on other creative that will debut later this year. The campaign includes broadcast TV, online video and social media. Cook noted this is State Farm’s largest investment in a campaign and “most comprehensive” push since the brand relaunch with Jake’s return in 2020. As a collaborator, Fallon will sit in the writers’ room and help with content across TV, digital and social media. Cook was in New York last week to begin determining where the relationship will go in terms of collaborations with “The Tonight Show” or other Fallon properties. State Farm has a longstanding relationship with NBCUniversal and has worked with Fallon previously; the insurer sponsored his home-based show during COVID-19 lockdowns, for example. State Farm’s big push comes at a time when insurance continues to be in a state of upheaval with rising prices, climate change and technology overhauls. Last year State Farm reported its most unprofitable year ever with a net loss of $6.7 billion. Competitors have also seen losses. Cook said despite industry challenges, the brand is well poised to communicate its service offerings to customers when they might need it most. And the brand keeps plowing money into marketing. State Farms ranks as the fifth-most prominent NFL advertiser this season, according to an iSpot.tv ranking of brands by TV ad impressions share of voice. “When you think about customers in particular all of the things that are hitting them, we want to make sure they know we’re there for them,” she said. “This campaign demonstrates how we can meet those needs, those expectations, to give them relief and peace of mind.” ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the Ludacris ad would air during Amazon Prime’s Black Friday NFL game. The insurer will run a different ad in the game. See all of Ad Age’s Breakout Brand Leaders here

State Farm enlists Jimmy Fallon for biggest campaign in three years

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