Great ad - State Farm

State Farm Insurance has recently launched (or I’ve recently become aware of) an ad campaign that has nearly inspired me to change my car insurance provider. For as long as I can remember, they have used the tagline “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There” in their ad campaigns, and with this recent campaign have taken the concept further, by showing in an exaggerated and funny way how they really are there for you when you need them. I have heard and seen both a video and radio version of this ad and find the video ad particularly effective. 

The video (below) shows the aftermath of a fender bender – dented bumpers, a few people out of their cars on the side of the road trying to figure out what to do. It’s a situation familiar to most people, but rare enough (hopefully!) that when it happens, you’re not quite sure what the proper protocol is. You might scramble to find your insurance information, take pictures of the damage, write down license plate numbers, etc; all the while with the nagging feeling you’re forgetting something important that’s going to end up costing you thousands of dollars. In the ad, the person covered by State Farm recites their tagline “Like a Good Neighbor…” and their insurance agent magically appears. The person not covered by State Farm tries to conjure their agent but instead gets their well meaning, but ineffective mother. 

This ad is effective because it’s clear which person you would want to be in this scenario. Having a friendly, knowledgeable and accessible insurance agent when you need one is very valuable, but not something most people consider when choosing insurance. Insurance is not sexy, and it’s not something anyone wants to spend money on – it is something you buy out of necessity. As such, I suspect the majority of people base their decision on cost alone. This ad makes you think twice about what your money is buying, and while I haven’t gone so far as to compare rates, I might be willing to pay a bit more for State Farm, with the expectation that I am buying better service than I would get from the cheapest no-name agency. Beyond being effective, this is a great ad is because they have managed to turn their well-known, but boring and borderline stodgy tagline into a humorous and warm ad campaign. I especially appreciate that they did so without venturing into the fear-based ads of many other insurance agencies. Next time I have to buy/switch insurance agencies, I will be considering State Farm.