State Farm, the American insurance company, this year ran “Scary Right”, a Halloween advertising campaign centred on two online commercials, “Chase” and “Jumper”. The Scary Right campaign will make your heart beat fast, and your palms sweat until a State Farm representative is there to help. The State Farm Scary Right ads, which promote the hashtag #heretohelp, are in sync with the new State Farm tagline and positioning “Here to Help Life Go Right.” Both creative executions have a spooky twist that plays off the duality of life’s moments, demonstrating that State Farm is not only there for when things go wrong, they are also there to help life go right.
In the first spot, entitled “Chase,” a young woman en route to a party and taking a short cut through the woods suspects she’s being followed. Her pace quickens as she catches a glimpse of a shadowy figure behind a tree. As she trips, falls and prepares for an attack she comes face-to-face with … State Farm representative Nicole. Commenting on how fast the girl has been running, Nicole hands her the purse she’s dropped along on the way, and lets her know she’s “happy to help.”
The second ad, “Jumper,” shines a light on a lone couple inside a car on the side of a dark road. As they realize that both their car battery and their cell phone have gone dead, a menacing vehicle looms behind them. As the couple prepare for “the end” they slowly drop their window to reveal …. Joe, a State Farm representative, who is there to help with a not-so-menacing jumper cable.
The spots, which include :30 and :60 versions, are running across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other pre-roll placements. Witty posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will support the two videos. To launch the “Scary Right” campaign, Halloween-style movie posters were published across State Farm’s social media channels. The posters promoted and sold the Jake the State Farm costume and got fans in the Halloween spirit. The poster series received over 15 million impressions.
State Farm Scary Right Credits
The State Farm Scary Right campaign was developed at DDB New York by executive creative director Cameron Hoelter, chief creative officer Icaro Doria, art director Dylan Ostrow, copywriter Turan Tuluy, producer Amanda Van Caneghem, head of production Ed Zazzera, group business director Claudia Such, account executive John Little, strategy team Kallista Adami-Koll, Chiara Martini, Tim Polder, working with State Farm director of branded content Patty Morris, mass media and partnerships manager Troy Johnson, marketing brand content manager Justin Reckamp, social media marketing analyst Stephanie Helland, marketing analyst Nick Rynerson.
Filming was shot by director Jamie Travis via Interrogate with executive producers Jeff Miller and George Meeker, producer Dave Robertson, director of photography Igor Meglic, production designer Jesse Benson, art director Kathryn Molenaar, location manager Monty Marsh, wardrobe stylist Maya Lieberman, hair and makeup artist Michele McKaig.
Editor was Chuck Willis at The Cutting Room Films with assistant editor Greg Ryan, senior producer Anna Petitti and sound mixer Walter Bianco.
Finishing was done at Light of Day.
Music was produced at Pull by composer Mitch Davis and executive producer Scott Brittingham.
