State Farm extends ‘magic’ campaign to NBA, WNBA with Disney team-up

Dive Brief:

State Farm has teamed with ESPN's in-house creative agency, ESPN Creative Studio, to produce campaigns for the NBA and WBNA seasons, per details shared exclusively with Marketing Dive.
Timed to NBA All-Star Weekend (Feb. 16-18), the brand will run a new spot featuring ESPN commentator Mike Breen, while a separate ad featuring WNBA star Kelsey Plum and commentator Monica McNutt will run later this month in advance of the WNBA season.
The ads iterate on a larger brand platform around consumers saying "magical" words that make State Farm representatives appear and come as media companies up investments in live sports programming.

Dive Insight:

State Farm and Disney Advertising are utilizing their long-standing relationship to engage with basketball season as both the NBA and WNBA seasons heat up. The ads revolve around the same concept as the insurer's previous “The Right Kind of Magic” effort, unifying the brand's marketing across campaigns.

“With our iconic State Farm jingle at the center, the new co-branded creative continues our Right Kind of Magic campaign showcasing the service and support State Farm offers,” said Patty Morris, marketing executive at State Farm, in a statement. “We have a history of doing breakthrough collaborations with ESPN Creative Studios and together with Disney, we’re reaching basketball fans in an entertaining, inclusive and relevant way.”

The ad timed to this weekend's NBA All-Star festivities features ESPN commentator Mike Breen, who materializes to say his "bang!" catchphrase when a man's toaster has "gone out with a bang." In an ad hyping the return of the WNBA in May, league star Kelsey Plum appears when commentator Monica McNutt asks for a bucket to address a leaky ceiling, punning on “bucket.”

Kelsey Plum in a State Farm ad — WNBA star Kelsey Plum and commentator Monica McNutt appear in an ad that airs later this month.

Courtesy of Disney Advertising

The ads come as Disney's ESPN continues to see growth of basketball programming. The 2023 NBA Playoffs were the most watched on ESPN platforms in 11 years, with average viewers up 9% from the year prior. Similarly, the 2023 WNBA Finals were the most watched WNBA Finals in 20 years, per details shared by Disney Advertising.

Launched in November, “The Right Kind of Magic” was the insurance brand’s first major work from agency Highdive and featured Jimmy Fallon and rapper Ludacris alongside brand character Jake from State Farm. State Farm also utilized celebrities in a Super Bowl ad this month that parodied Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pronunciation of “neighbor" and paired him with “Twins” co-star Danny DeVito.

State Farm’s leveraging of ESPN Creative Studio comes as media companies look for new ways to profit from the enduring popularity of live sports. ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery this month formed a joint venture to build a new streaming sports service that could shake up the sports media landscape.

“The scale and reach of Disney’s platforms, combined with our technology and innovative solutions speak for themselves – and advertisers see the value in what we have to offer,” said Mike Denby, senior vice president at Disney Advertising, in a statement. “Disney Advertising is committed to creating unique opportunities for brands, and our award-winning in-house creative agency is just one of many ways we’re able to produce these can’t miss campaigns.”