Aaron Rodgers Ad Lifts Up Wisconsinites
Since the early October release of a State Farm commercial featuring Green Bay Packers Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, State Farm’s Buzz score—a measure of consumer perception—has increased among two groups: football fans and Wisconsin residents.
In the ad, which promotes State Farm’s “Discount Double Check” program, Rodgers confronts a State Farm employee and several customers who have adopted his signature touchdown dance to represent the “Discount Double Check”. The customers—incredulous that he is in fact an NFL player—end up mocking the star quarterback.
The ad comes as part of a larger salvo of media efforts this year by State Farm, with spots ranging from the comedic to the sentimental. Perhaps thanks to this, State Farm’s Buzz score is top among property and casualty insurers in BrandIndex, but its overall score has not moved significantly among U.S. consumers since the debut of the Rodgers ad a month and half ago—or since the beginning of the year for that matter—hovering since January in the low 20s.
The Rodgers commercial has seemed, however, to help out State Farm’s consumer perception for two specific groups. On October 3—when the spot began to appear nationally—State Farm’s Buzz score among football fans stood at 19, while its Buzz score for residents of Wisconsin was 9. Since then, State Farm’s Buzz score has seen a modest gain of five points among football fans. With Wisconsin residents, the brand has soared. Since the ad was released, the company’s Buzz score in the Badger State has shot up over 30 points, peaking at 42 on November 7.
Although the ad has already run for a month and a half, with the Packers currently undefeated through nine games and Aaron Rodgers a strong candidate for MVP, State Farm might get more mileage yet out of the ad.
Ted Marzilli, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of BrandIndex