• by Tanya Gazdik , September 13, 2020

Farmers Insurance is aiming to connect with a younger audience by showing them the added value of doing business with the company. 

Farmers has worked to establish the brand’s identity over the last several years. This campaign, from RPA, takes it a step further by showing millennials what Farmers can offer them, according to the company.

The insurance provider once again partnered with Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons to reprise his role as Professor Burke. Only this time, instead of navigating viewers through the Hall of Claims, he’s illustrating the value of Farmers Policy Perks.

Research shows millennials have lower awareness and familiarity with insurance brands, says Jenny Howell, head of brand and consumer marketing at Farmers. 

“So first and foremost, we needed to break through with relevant and entertaining scenarios,” Howell tells Marketing Daily. “We also learned that the idea of an insurance provider, like Farmers, offering customers a group of perks was especially appealing and differentiating to millennials."

In “Policy Perks: Acci-didn’t,” Professor Burke explains to a young customer that it’s like her accident never happened, thanks to the company’s accident forgiveness perk, which rewards customers who haven’t filed a claim in three years. 

“Policy Perks: Kernel Inferno” shows a homeowner dealing with the aftermath of a movie night gone terribly wrong. Professor Burke assures the homeowner that the home would be completely repaired thanks to the home guaranteed replacement cost. 

Research indicates consumers are open to and even craving advertising without pandemic-related messaging, Howell says.

“With the ongoing impact that the pandemic has had on our lives, we wanted to remain sensitive to the realities of life, but also address the needs of consumers,” Howell says. “While we continue to be a reassuring voice for our customers, we are excited for the opportunity to bring back our lighter-toned advertising with our new campaign."

Production pulled off shoots in both Vancouver and Los Angeles with safety precautions in place. Communications between Farmers, RPA, directors, production and cast were all managed through video conferencing, including a live feed directly from the director of photography’s camera.  

The campaign launches in September across a variety of media, including TV, audio, social, and digital placements.