What better message can be sent from a company that profits from the purchase of life insurance than one of longevity and health? It's a message that resonates with millions of Americans who are already familiar with State Farm's unique brand of advertising, the "Like A Good Neighbor..." campaign. In addition, focusing on a minority demographic lends itself to an overarching theme of diversity, which is the flavor of the month in many current branding campaigns.
and? do you want us to comment on the campaign? discuss a particular element of the campaign? relate it to what's going on with diversity in the ad industry? Or just visit your blog? Inquiring forum members want to know:-)
Whatever your heart's desire, but it's the diversity aspect I'm most interested in with this particular campaign. It's not unusual to use elements of diversity, but this is the only one I can currently think of that speaks specifically to a particular group of people.
Oh let's face it. There are no implications to either the ad or the comment. Jarrett, as an African American, do you really relate to the State Farm Family, or the Wazzup guys, or any of the hundreds of McDonald's minority ads? Or Steve and T.J. do you really relate to any of the white guy archetypes you see on ads? I'm from the south, and I don't relate too much to Gomer Pyle. Archetypes and the big five that create them- that's what constitutes the shifts that are taking place in advertising now. There was a time when there was no replacement for them. but the world has changed. And it will take time for the archetypes to change, because there are no new models of consumer representation to replace them. Yet. Give it time.
A quick ad tip- The famous wrestler Jerry Lawler, when backed into a corner, would pull a "fireball" out of his tights, and throw it in his opponents eyes". I'm finding that very effective. So if you think you're going to be asked to make the logo bigger, pack a fireball in your slacks, and you'll be fine.