In 2021, State Farm launched its first in-game Super Bowl commercial, “Drake from State Farm,” cementing “Jake from State Farm” as a household name. After choosing to swerve away from the linear ad format for two years, in favor of digital-first campaigns, State Farm wanted to return to the ad break with a bang to drive awareness and recognition with millennials and Gen Z.

The ask? Do something completely unexpected and surprising. We had to maximize the appeal and entertainment value of the commercial break for the target audiences and continue to elevate the equity of State Farm brand assets — namely their “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there” slogan.

Objectives:

1. Maximize relevancy and awareness among target audiences.

2. Unmistakable brand attribution.

3. Own share of social conversation vs. competition.

4. Win the “Advertising Super Bowl.”

Agent State Farm is a 60-second “movie” where the hero can’t say his catchphrase as scripted, allowing the line we wanted the audience to remember to be repeated over and over — in increasingly humorous fashion. We cast the OG action man, The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger as our Agent State Farm, knowing in Arnold’s accent the “hard r” of our slogan, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” would be lost. In doing so, we infused audience recall of our brand asset right into the heart of our creative idea.

There’s little debate, Gen Z and millennials prefer an omnichannel experience — so marketing this 60-second “movie” like a blockbuster delivered the tea they crave on the channels they prefer. All the gossip. All the leaks. All the fan love.

From paparazzi and teaser trailers to fan art and red-carpet influencers, a Hollywood rollout was set in motion. Agent State Farm created serious buzz and kept fans on the edge of their seats right up to the Super Bowl — where 124 million tuned in to watch the movie’s premiere.

It was a perfectly timed cadence and gave fans their own story arc to follow. From “Is this real?” to finishing No. 1 at the Super Bowl box office, each and every touchpoint built on the last to create an engaging experience with an endearing wink and smile.

Phase 1 (Jan 23-31): Announcement

• Actual paparazzi capture Jake and Arnold working out.

• Teaser trailer confirms Arnold’s role.

• Official movie page goes live on IMDB.

• Jason Momoa congratulates Arnold via social post.

Phase 2 (Feb 1-10): Promote

• Jake Tonight Show appearance includes movie poster and 5-second trailer

• Artistic influencers share their fan art.

• Lifestyle influencers walk the red carpet at “exclusive” premiere.

• Loren Gray releases official theme song.

• Long-form goes live on social with “script change” cliffhanger.

Phase 3 (Feb 11): Game Day

• World premiere during Super Bowl includes plot twist with Danny DeVito.

• Thanks to overtime, fans were treated to a second showing via real-time media buy.

• Three stars share a poster spoof of Twins movie.

Phase 4: (Feb 12+): Aftermath

• Arnold and Danny make an off-the-cuff callback to the ad while presenting an award at the Oscars.

It’s easy for brands and agencies to navel-gaze during the Super Bowl, but the real measure of success is public perception. In the most competitive advertising environment of the year, Agent State Farm was an undisputed blockbuster hit. In a poll by USA Today asking consumers about their favorite ads of the Super Bowl, the commercial took the top spot (USA Today Ad Meter) and also ranked as People Magazine’s No. 1 ad of the Super Bowl.

One of State Farm’s key performance metrics for this work was brand recognition, Agent State Farm achieved an astonishing 92% as well as a 72% increase in followers to brand channels.

Our wraparound campaign, from staged paparazzi shots and premieres, and the careful casting of a cult movie duo, resulted in 24 BILLION earned media impressions.

If Agent State Farm was released in theaters, we’re sure there would be queues around the block.