You’re sitting on your couch, watching the fourth quarter of a blowout game, and suddenly a guy in a red polo and khakis pops up on the screen. He isn't selling you a policy with a boring list of deductibles or premium breakdowns. Instead, he’s poking fun at Patrick Mahomes’ obsession with "bath bombs" or helping a literal king navigate a fender bender.
That’s State Farm insurance advertising in a nutshell. It’s basically the gold standard for how a legacy company—we're talking about a brand founded way back in 1922—manages to stay relevant when most people find insurance about as exciting as watching paint dry.
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Honestly, the "Like a Good Neighbor" jingle is probably living rent-free in your head right now. Did you know Barry Manilow actually wrote that melody in the 1970s? He got paid a whopping $500 for it. No residuals. No royalties. Just five hundred bucks for one of the most valuable pieces of sonic branding in history. That’s wild, right? But it worked. It created this "good neighbor" vibe that State Farm has milked—successfully—for over fifty years.
The Weird Evolution of Jake from State Farm
We have to talk about the "Jake" phenomenon because it’s sort of a masterclass in accidental viral marketing. The original 2011 "State Farm Cabin" ad was just supposed to be a one-off funny spot. It featured an actual employee named Jake Stone answering a 3:00 AM call from a suspicious husband.
The wife grabs the phone: "What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?"
Jake, confused: "Uh... khakis?"
People loved it. It became a meme before brands even knew how to handle memes. But here's where it gets interesting for the business nerds. In 2020, State Farm decided they needed a "professional" Jake who could handle the grueling schedule of a full-blown brand ambassador. Enter Kevin Miles.
Some people were annoyed at first. "That’s not the real Jake!" they yelled at their TVs. But State Farm didn't blink. They leaned into it, putting the new Jake next to A-list celebrities like Drake, Aaron Rodgers, and Caitlin Clark. By 2025, Kevin Miles' Jake had become so ubiquitous that he was basically a CGI-adjacent cultural icon, appearing everywhere from Twitch streams to the NBA Finals.
Why State Farm Insurance Advertising Actually Works
It isn't just about having a funny mascot. Geico has the gecko, and Progressive has Flo, so the "character" space is crowded. State Farm wins because they’ve mastered "situational relatability."
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They don't talk about "loss mitigation." They talk about your car getting smashed by a rogue shopping cart. They don't pitch "comprehensive coverage"; they show a guy whose house was accidentally invaded by a swarm of bees. It’s disarming. By the time you’re done laughing at the absurdity, you’ve subconsciously associated State Farm with the idea of being "there" when things go sideways.
The Multi-Platform Blitz
They are everywhere. In 2025, State Farm shifted a massive chunk of their budget—which is estimated in the hundreds of millions—into "non-traditional" spaces.
- TikTok & Social: They don't just post ads; they do "Jazz Bath" challenges and interact with influencers like they're just another creator.
- The "From the Logo" Campaign: Linking up with WNBA star Caitlin Clark was a genius move. It tapped into the massive growth of women's sports and boosted their "Ad Awareness" score by over 7 points in just a single month.
- Gaming: You’ll see Jake popping up in virtual worlds or collaborating with top streamers. They know Gen Z isn't watching linear TV, so they go where the eyeballs are.
The Strategy Behind the Stunts
There's a method to the madness. State Farm’s marketing agency, TMA (The Marketing Arm), focuses on "cultural resonance." They want to be part of the conversation, not an interruption to it.
Take the 2025-26 football campaign. They brought in Trey Smith and "King Henry" (Derrick Henry) for spots that feel more like comedy sketches than insurance pitches. The message is always the same: "Having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm." They’re trying to move the needle from insurance being a "commodity" (something you buy based only on price) to a "service" (something you buy because you trust the person behind it).
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It’s a tough sell. Most people just want the cheapest rate. But by humanizing the brand through 19,000 local agents and a friendly guy in khakis, they've managed to hold the top spot for auto insurance market share for decades.
What You Can Actually Learn from Their Success
If you’re looking at State Farm insurance advertising from a business or marketing perspective, there are a few "un-boring" takeaways.
Consistency is king. They’ve used the same jingle since the Nixon administration. Think about that. Most brands change their slogan every three years because a new CMO wants to "make their mark." State Farm just keeps leaning into the "Good Neighbor" thing.
Secondly, don't be afraid to reboot. Replacing the original Jake was a massive risk. It could have backfired. But they understood that to reach a younger, more digital audience, they needed a version of the character that could do more than just sit in a cubicle.
Lastly, use humor to bridge the trust gap. Insurance is inherently negative—you only use it when something bad happens. By making the advertising funny and lighthearted, they lower your defenses. It makes the idea of "filing a claim" feel less like a bureaucratic nightmare and more like a chat with a friend.
Your Next Steps for Better Branding
If you're trying to replicate even a fraction of this success for your own projects, start with these moves. Audit your "sonic brand"—do you have a consistent sound or phrase that people identify with you? If not, start building one. Next, look at your "mascot" or public face. Is it someone who can actually interact with your audience on social media, or is it just a static logo? Finally, check your "relatability factor." Stop using industry jargon and start talking about the actual, messy problems your customers face every day. Use the State Farm playbook: keep it simple, keep it consistent, and for heaven's sake, keep it human.