Blog

January 31, 2025

Wildfire PR Snuffs Out $7M Super Bowl Ad

By Jay Bemis | Advertising Systems Inc.
Fox is expected to generate nearly $700 million in advertising revenue for next weekend’s Super Bowl LIX, but one good neighbor, State Farm Insurance, won’t be there.

Because of the recent wildfires that have ravaged southern California, State Farm has decided to pull a 30-second, $7-million spot that it had planned for the Big Game. The company, and other major insurers, have faced criticism in the wake of the wildfires, thanks in part to insurance restrictions that have been placed on southern Californians in recent years.

State Farm, for one, announced in March 2024 that it would discontinue coverage of 72,000 home and apartment policies in California later that summer. The company blamed inflation, regulatory costs and increasing risk of catastrophes for its decision and had previously stopped accepting new applications in the state.

A million-plus homes and 4 million vehicles still are insured by State Farm in California, including 250,000 homes and 880,000 cars in Los Angeles County, according to the company.

State Farm, in effect, realized that paying an estimated $7 million for a 30-second Super Bowl spot could spawn a further public-relations crisis if it ran.

Instead, “State Farm, State Farm agents, and our employees are all focused on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy,” State Farm said after pulling the Super Bowl ad.

Thus far, in the fires’ aftermath, “We are proud to report that our customer contact is at 90%,” the company said. “We’ve received over 7,400 home and auto claims, and we are putting tens of millions of dollars back into customers’ hands. These numbers will continue to rise as residents return and assess damage.

“Our focus is firmly on providing support to the people of Los Angeles. We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned.”

State Farm shifting its Big Game advertising and marketing budget at a time of crisis “is a great show of its brand values and keen understanding of the role PR plays in shaping public perception,” says Miami-based advertising agency, Design Rush, of the insurer’s decision to back out.

“While this decision highlights the financial scale of State Farm’s commitment, it also underscores a broader message: helping Californians recover from one of the state’s worst fire disasters takes precedence over commercial exposure.

“By choosing to prioritize support for the wildfire victims, the company strengthens its reputation as a socially conscious and empathetic brand, demonstrating how aligning corporate actions with community impact can build trust and reinforce brand identity.”

So, If State Farm Won’t Be There, Who Will Be?

As actor Matthew McConaughey intones in an Uber Eats commercial that has run in many a recent football game: “The whole game is basically an elaborate scheme to make you buy more food.”

Indeed, the food and beverage industry will be well represented, as usual, during this year’s Super Bowl, including an Uber Eats ad featuring not McConaughey, but English singer Charli XCX and longtime domestic diva Martha Stewart in what’s described as a TikTok-inspired spot.

Also anticipated from the world of F&B, according to ad tracker Times of India, are: Commercials from Michelob Ultra, featuring Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara in a pickleball-themed ad; Bud Light, highlighting a hangout with Post Malone; Stella Artois, with David Beckham “bringing some charm and humor,” and, Coors Light, starring Timothy Simons from “Veep.”

In McConaughey-like fashion, all of those beer ads, by the way, will run along spots from snack-food giants Doritos and Pringles.

Other Super Bowl ads teased thus far include:

  • Meta showing off its smart glasses in a spot featuring Marvel stars Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt.
  • Bosch providing some wrestling action with Antonio Banderas and a character who portrays the late Randy Savage of the WWE.
  • Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom helping MSC Cruises make its Super Bowl debut with some inspiration from Madonna’s hit tune, “Holiday.”

Itself considered by many to be America’s holiday, the Super Bowl will kick off its 59th version of the Big Game at 6:30 pm Eastern time, Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Superdome in New Orleans.

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