To better connect with millennials and Gen Z, State Farm leaned into the power of a good game and rewrote the marketing playbook as they did so. Super Bowl ad? State Farm developed a mini-movie with a reality-bending publicity campaign. Athlete sponsorship? State Farm caught lightning in a bottle with ascending basketball star Caitlin Clark. Online gaming presence? State Farm brought the biggest influencers together for an unprecedented competition. Pitch man? State Farm turned Jake from State Farm into a cultural icon. These initiatives scored with the younger consumers and reinvented how brands can show up in the world.
How does a 102 year old company who has evolved into their industry leader through the decades maintain its position with legacy demographics while also seeking to build new, relevant relationships with millennial and Gen-Z customers? The answer is both simple and complex – it’s no easy task, however, we accepted the challenge.
Understanding that the younger generations are perpetually information-overloaded and notoriously difficult to engage, we at State Farm® set out to go beyond the traditional ad campaigns to crack the code on where and how to reach younger audiences in interesting ways that resonate. This required a lot of listening and learning, but most importantly utilizing the ladder to create and execute campaign experiences that engaged our target audiences in ways that drove desired business outcomes.
Here's how we did it.
State Farm launched a unique Super Bowl campaign in 2023, aiming to resonate with Gen Z through absurdist humor. The highlight was Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 60-second mini-movie “Agent State Farm,” where he humorously mispronounced the State Farm slogan. To create buzz on social platforms we worked with influencers from varying backgrounds to create music and art specific to the campaign which was shared with both on the influencers’ pages as well as State Farm social pages. State Farm orchestrated paparazzi shots of Schwarzenegger working out with Jake from State Farm, produced a cinematic trailer, created an official IMDB page, and hosted a red-carpet premiere. Schwarzenegger also appeared on “The Tonight Show,” where he played games with Jake and host Jimmy Fallon, further blurring the line between marketing and entertainment.
Shifting focus to connect with millennial audiences, State Farm turned its attention to women's basketball, recognizing the growing popularity of the WNBA. Partnering with rising star Caitlin Clark, State Farm launched the #CoveringCaitlin campaign to support her journey in 2024. The announcement of Clark joining Team State Farm featured a playful signing ritual where Jake gifted her iconic khakis.
As Clark approached the NCAA scoring record, State Farm introduced the State Farm Points Tracker, allowing fans to count down to the milestone. Their partnership gained traction when Jake surprised Clark at the 2024 WNBA Draft, celebrating her as the No. 1 overall pick while billboards lit up Times Square. Clark reciprocated with a photobomb alongside Jake during the WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Recognizing that millennials and Gen Z also enjoy gaming, State Farm launched “Gamerhood: Neo City,” a five-episode series that blended reality show elements with live gaming tournaments on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
As you will see in our results below the nuanced challenges were met and our expectations were exceeded.
The Agent State Farm campaign was a success. It generated over 24 billion impressions—23 times more than the previous year—and garnered 63 million social interactions. Notably, the campaign saw a significant 15.3 percentage point increase in positive buzz among skeptical Gen Z consumers in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
The #CoveringCaitlin Campaign resulted in 115,700 social engagements with high asset inclusion and feature coverage.
And finally, The Gamerhood: Neo City series exceeded expectations, garnering over 23.5 million total views and 123,000 hours watched on State Farm channels. The campaign reached 822 million people across all platforms, a 204% increase from 2023, and generated over 2.1 billion impressions, surpassing its goals by 140%. The series gained further exposure when Roku expanded its distribution.
These innovative campaigns showcased our ability to engage effectively with different demographics, leveraging the popularity of Jake from State Farm as both a brand representative and a cultural icon. Through humor, strategic partnerships, and a keen understanding of audience interests, State Farm solidified its presence in both traditional and digital spaces.
