Chicago multicultural agency fluent360 launched a campaign for State Farm focused on Indian American cricket fans, launched to coincide with the ICC Cricket World Cup.
“Cricket has a massive fanbase among the Asian Indian community, and it’s a terrific opportunity for us to convey our core messaging of empathy and connect with our Asian Indian customers,” State Farm marketing manager Justin Reckamp said in a statement.
In “Cricket Crashes,” a cricket fan facing his first season away from home opines that he sees fans of every other sport celebrating all the time, but when he finally finds some fellow cricket fans enjoying the game, he gets into a crash. Of course, State Farm is there to help.
Another spot finds the same young man talking with his State Farm agent during a commercial break, meaning she has about 7 seconds of his time. While not creatively mind-blowing, the ads are notable for convincingly delivering a culturally-specific message at a segment of State Farm’s audience timed around a meaningful event.
The campaign follows fluent360’s Mandarin-language “Smart Living” ad for State Farm last August, which focuses on an Asian-American couple whose smart home system goes rogue.
“What makes these spots compelling and keeps them on point is that when it comes to casting, acting, and the script, we made sure we portrayed our audience in relatable ways, never stereotypically,” fluent360 executive creative director Jose Suaste said in a statement. “Last year we accomplished this, and we just wanted to make sure we continued with that effort.”
“We are always looking for exceptional insights that make the viewer break into a smile each time they watch the commercial. We wanted people to feel like they can easily see themselves in those situations. That’s how people truly relate to a brand,” added Admerasia associate creative director Yashica Dutt.