STATE FARM
CHRIS + CLIFF
Translation helped State Farm stand out in a price-driven category through the context of the NBA, changing the conversation to the value of the agent with an assist from Chris Paul.
THE CHALLENGE
State Farm had been a sponsor of the NBA for years – and while such legacy partnerships can help build brand awareness, too often they become what amounts to multimillion-dollar wallpaper. So we posed the question: could State Farm and the NBA reimagine such a high-visibility sponsorship in a way that differentiates the brand from others in the insurance category?
THE IDEA
How could we use the context of basketball to teach fans about State Farm agents, and why it’s helpful to have a personal, human relationship with the company who’s selling you insurance? Well, we noticed that State Farm agents, like All-Star point guards, are born to assist their teammates.
THE WORK
In order to tell our brand story, we forged a partnership with four-time assist leader Chris Paul, and created “Cliff Paul,” Chris’s fictitious separated-at-birth twin brother – who grew up to become a State Farm agent.
THE IMPACT
State Farm connected with NBA fans in a way that had never been done by an insurance provider – or any sports marketer in any category, for that matter. How many other fictional insurance agents do you know who’ve been approached by Jordan for a shoe deal? The campaign created a cultural icon. Chris and Cliff proved the value of a personal State Farm agent and the power of each agent to assist.