Chris Paul, James Harden Sing Along to the Backstreet Boys for State Farm

Like a good neighbor, Chris Paul is there … in Houston! This State Farm ad finds the NBA superstar exploring his new city, where he runs into a pair of his big-time baller friends. Naturally, they wind up driving around and singing along to the Backstreet Boys. Doesn't that sound like fun? For the 2017-18 hoop season, Paul moved from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets. That shift formed the basis of "Going Away Party," the nine-time All Star's previous commercial for the insurer that dropped last last month. It featured Paul yukking it up with State Farm agent Cole Perez, played by Oscar Nunez from The Office. Now there's a sequel, which breaks widely on Christmas Day, and opens with the agent taking Paul on a "Grand Tour" that includes bowling, barbecue and "I Want It That Way" blasting on the car radio. Soon, they encounter two of Paul's new Rockets teammates. Could one of them be James Harden, by any chance? [kickout id="1"] Of course it's James Harden! (Hey, Trevor Ariza, nice harmonies, but have you considered growing out your beard?) "As we thought about different ways to illustrate what it feels like when someone really gets you, we immediately thought about potential similarities between Cole and Chris," says John Norman, creative chief at Translation, which developed the campaign. "From an identical food order to a favorite pastime of bowling to the same guilty-pleasure song, we wanted to use examples that people can identify with within their own personal relationships." What State Farm agents actually do for Paul—or anyone who makes a big move—is kind of vague. They bowl and sing with you? Cool. As for the so-awful-it's-awesome song selection, Norman says "I Want It That Way" turned out to be the perfect choice, in no small part because "the talent knew all the words." Everyone seems to have fun, and client advertising director Patty Morris says the bromance between Paul and his State Farm agent "is carried throughout the rest of the campaign." An unnamed former Rocket—Norman calls him "an NBA legend"—will join Paul and Co. in future ads. Could it be Charles Barkley? The Round Mound has gnarly car-ayoke skills, so he'd fit right in. CREDITS Brand/Client: State Farm Campaign Title: Sixth Sense Spot Title: "Grand Tour" (:60/:30L/:15L/:15L) First Air Date: December 25th, 2017 Agency: Translation, LLC Chief Executive Officer & Founder: Steve Stoute President: Patrick Lafferty Chief Creative Officer: John Norman Group Creative Director: Eric Steele Group Creative Director: Lance Ferguson Creative Director: Tucker Loosbrock Creative Director: Stephen Petronis Director of Content Production: Miriam Franklin Director of Business Affairs: Thalia Tsouros Executive Content Producer: Colleen Miller Integrated/Digital Content Producer: Sara Tunstall Associate Producer: Ruganzu Howard Copywriter: Andrew Kim Art Director: Dan Koo Group Account Director: Susanna Swartley Account Director: Julia Farber Account Director: Zach Dioneda Account Executive: Chloe Williams Group Strategy Director: John McBride Strategy Director: Geoff McHenry Social Strategy Director: John Petty Social Strategist: Netta Dobbins Senior Project Manager: Meredith Volpe Production Company: World War Seven Director: David Shafei Director of Photography: Bryan Newman Executive Producer: Josh Ferrazzano Line Producer: Bo Clancey Editorial Company: Arcade Edit NYC Editor: Dave Anderson Assistant Editor: Joseph Petruccio Post Executive Producer: Sila Soyer Senior Post Producer: Fanny Cruz VFX Company: Framestore NYC Executive Producer: Nick Fraser VFX Senior Producer: Lily Tilton Shoot Supervisor: Maura Hurley VFX Supervisor: Martin Lazaro Design/Matte Painting Team: 3D TEAM: CG Lead: Charlotte Bae, Steven Johnson 2D TEAM: Compositing Supervisor: Martin Lazaro Composite Team: Greg Cutler, Liz Yang, Elaina Brillantes, Xuechu Chang, Philip Rambowski Color Grade Company: Company 3 Colorist: Tim Masick Producer: Colleen Valentino Audio Post: Heard City Mixer: Phil Loeb Executive Producer: Sasha Awn Music: Ring The Alarm Partners: Brent Nichols & Daron Hollowell Executive Creative Director: Brent Nichols Executive Producer: Daron Hollowell Producer: Dylan Marder Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way"

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Chris Paul, James Harden Sing Along to the Backstreet Boys for State Farm

The ballers know all the words

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio