State Farm Assistant VP/Marketing Communications Tim Van Hoof said that “despite their similarities,” Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Clippers G Chris Paul’s roles as company endorsers “differ,” according to Elyse Dupre of DIRECT MARKETING NEWS. State Farm “teamed up with advertising agency DDB in Chicago to dub Rodgers the king of the Discount Double Check and with marketing and advertising agency Translation to show Paul modeling the helpful nature of the State Farm agents.” Still, when “homing in on the best personalities for the brand, Van Hoof says State Farm selected athletes that emulate the company's morals.” Van Hoof said that State Farm “drafted Rodgers after seeing his true green and gold colors shine through during the Brett Favre retirement, trading debacle.” Likewise, Paul's “knack for assists also characterized him as a perfect player for the insurance company to align itself with.” Van Hoof acknowledged that partnering with athletes “does pose the risk of deterring rival fans, but doesn't peg the Green Bay Packers as a ‘divisive’ team.” Van Hoof: “It would be difficult to put a New York Yankee team or player in front of the world without people having a very strong opinion … whereas I think teams like Green Bay tend to be less polarizing.” Van Hoof said that in addition to the TV spots, State Farm “featured Rodgers in social, digital, in-office materials, homepage, and email plays.” He also noted that the company is “still determining the extent of Paul's presence.” Van Hoof said that incorporating brand figures “across multiple channels is crucial to delivering consistency.” Van Hoof: “When you have affinity to the NFL, or that team, or that player, it just reestablishes and helps our overall ROI” (DMNEWS.com, 1/8).
