Cannes Lions
HIGHDIVE ADVERTISING, Chicago / STATE FARM / 2024
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
For insurance companies, staying top of mind year after year is key. So, during the Super Bowl, State Farm wanted to do something completely unexpected with their slogan to further cement it into pop culture.
But how do you breathe new life into a well-loved slogan? You tap one of the biggest action movie icons to say it in a way that can’t be ignored. By hiring Arnold Schwarzenegger to make a satirical feature film out of a single botched line, State Farm was able to make their slogan even more memorable than ever before.
Execution
In this “film,” State Farm casts Arnold Schwarzenegger to star in a high-octane blockbuster movie called Agent State Farm, the production of which quickly goes off the rails when everyone realizes he can’t say the movie’s most important line--the brand’s slogan, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”.
What starts as a small joke grows as every scene, from fiery houses to landing a crashing helicopter, is foiled by his thick Austrian pronunciation of the word “neighbor.”
The director finally decides to bring forth a last-minute addition to the production, a surprise sidekick none other than Danny DeVito to swoop in and save the movie.
Outcome
Agent State Farm became a hilarious spoof of an action movie that America couldn’t stop talking about. The commercial ranked #1 on the USA Today Ad Meter, #1 by People Magazine, was rated 4.5/5 stars on Ad Age.
The ad sparked a media frenzy that led to 35,000 social media mentions, 2,400 press articles and a whopping 24 billion earned media impressions, making it one of the most talked about ads during the most watched Super Bowl in American history.
The spot drove 92% Brand Recognition around the State Farm “Like a good neighbor” slogan, the brand’s most valuable asset. And after the dust settled, and the brand saw a 72% increase in followers over benchmark on brand social media accounts.
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