Ads Review - Jake From State Farm’s “Surprisingly Great Rates”
This week in the ads review, I’m breaking down State Farm’s “Surprisingly Great Rates” ads. State Farm’s recent ad set, featuring their spokesman Jake from State Farm, is an interesting and successful approach to integrating a tagline in a natural-sounding way.
State Farm’s major competitor, Geico, has a tagline that is unforgettable in the minds of American audiences. “15 minutes could save you 15% or more” has been repeated, probably billions of times, on televisions in American homes. I appreciate how State Farm has incorporated their new tagline into the conversation script of their ads. This isn’t a necessity, as Geico simply tagged it at the end of their ads for the last 20 years, but it is a great way to help disguise a blatant marketing slogan. Check out the ads, and then I’ll break down why these work so well.
This ad set follows the same pattern with each ad. The secondary character gives Jake from State Farm a gift to thank him for giving them such a great deal on their insurance premiums. Jake responds by saying that he didn’t give them a deal, because “State Farm offers surprisingly great rates to everyone.” The characters don’t believe him, and comically continue to give their gifts.
It seems like these ads were designed around their new tagline. Each mini storyline leads up to the moment where Jake says the line, and then concludes after he says it. This is an interesting process to keep in mind with your next ad. How can you have a storyline naturally lead up to the tagline, and then have a character say it in way that serves the storyline?
One final note: I appreciate the clever double meaning of “when you want the real deal.” It could mean something like “the real thing” or it could mean something closer to “a good discount.” Probably both.
All in all, I appreciate the advertising arms race that major insurance companies have found themselves in. They make so much money, I feel like giving us funny ads is the least they could do. Some of the best ads in the past few decades have been from Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Aflac, and Allstate. Keep it up!
For more Ads Reviews, click here. I’m breaking down a new campaign every week, pulling best practices for you to incorporate in your ads. Check it out!
