TV commercials for insurance companies featuring NFL quarterbacks outperform

One-shot cooking. That’s what Progressive Marketing Director Jeff Charney calls Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.

In an interview with CNBC Thursday, Charney praised Mayfield’s sports marketing appeal, and with the team still in the National Football League playoffs, the insurance company expects a big weekend with its advertising spots for football.

“We’re going to make a lot of noise this week,” Charney told CNBC on Thursday of the company’s plan to run Mayfield’s progressive ads on networks, particularly ViacomCBS.

This is the network that will carry the Browns’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. And according to advertising statistics data firm EDO, insurance ads in NFL games featuring the player outperform other ads.

EDO used this example: “For State Farm, when Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes are featured in commercials during a game they are playing, there is a huge increase in overperformance per person for people searching for State Farm. The commercials are two to three times better than other ads in these games. “

EDO uses analytics that track brand and product searches and sales when ads are served, helping businesses and networks determine the value of ads at sporting events. The firm estimated that last weekend’s six NFL wild card games were worth around $ 55 million per game, generating $ 330 million for the networks.

This weekend, Progressive is hoping Mayfield’s ads deliver a return on investment through brand exposure and generating more business. And history suggests that insurance in sports marketing works.

Allstate got the ball rolling in 2005 when it struck a deal to place its logo on the goal post net at 30 Division 1 varsity football stadiums. The plan was effective in reducing television visibility of the company. The cameras need to show the field goal attempts, so Allstate won.

Scott Rosner, a sports management program professor at Columbia University, called the moment a “turning point” for insurance companies advertising sports. He said companies have since moved into sports marketing.

Among the most notable spots are the State Farm and Progressive ads.

Their ads are seen throughout NFL contests and brand exposure is set to increase over the next few weeks as NFL games soak up TV ratings, leading to Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. . Last year’s event drew over 100 million total viewers for Fox Sports.

“Obviously, every business has their own metrics for determining whether they’ve achieved ROI and ROO,” Rosner said. “But the point is that they [insurance firms] keep doing it because they clearly found it to be effective. And it’s rare for one of the biggest companies to pull out of their sports marketing investments. “

“The insurance industry has turned out to be a real backbone of the sports advertising market,” he added.

Informed about EDO data, Rosner said he was not surprised that companies see an increase in searches around their business when their NFL ads appear.

“They do better,” Charney said of the effectiveness of the ads in NFL contests. “Hell [Mayfield] score a touchdown or throw a touchdown pass, and at the break we’re trying to get that pod. “

State Farm did not immediately make a spokesperson available for this article.

With the spotlight on the Browns, Progressive is making no secret of who it’s cheering on this weekend. Mayfield helped the team win their first playoff game since 1995, after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend.

Mayfield’s New Challenge: Beat Mahomes and the Chiefs this weekend and help the Progressives tackle State Farm in the process.

The Browns quarterback signed a marketing deal with Progressive in 2019. He is the only NFL player the company uses in its sports marketing campaigns. Charney said that before settling on him, the company subjected Mayfield to a “brutal two-hour combine”. He remembers asking questions such as:

“How much money is in your pocket?”

“Where did you meet your wife?”

“What was your first kiss?”

“We were trying to test him to see if he could improvise,” Charney said. “We wanted to make sure he matched our brand, that he had the right improv skills and that he would be himself.”

Progressive created 17 Home with Baker ads, highlighting Mayfield using a stadium as her home and enduring everyday insurance issues. Charney said Mayfield did not have a script while filming.

“We’ve set the stage, and we’re going there,” Charney said. “It’s like a one-time cooking. It’s pretty natural and pretty understandable.”

Rosner added: “He’s fun, and he’s not afraid to do silly things; to be the punchline of the script. And he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

But EDO data suggests Mayfield’s places are still gaining momentum now that the Browns have finally won.

The firm said that “search engagement bonuses,” a metric used to determine consumer engagement, shows that Mayfield’s ads consistently lag behind Rodgers and Mahomes’ State Farm spots.

One of the reasons is the Chiefs, and the Packers have won more over the years, unlike the Browns.

Also, Mahomes and Rodgers are the new faces of the NFL, replacing Tom Brady and Drew Brees, who play in their Sunday game.

Rodgers and Mahomes have both won Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVPs, maximizing their marketing value. Rodgers earns $ 9 million in endorsements, according to Forbes. And Mahomes is racking up new offerings as his spotlight continues to grow.

But if the Browns upset the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams beat the Rodgers Packers, it could help dent that publicity statistic. Mayfield’s progressive spots are expected to generate more attraction, especially during an AFC Championship week.

“They found the right guy,” Rosner said of Progressive’s investment in Mayfield. “The more they [Browns] staying in the spotlight, the better for Progressive. And the best is for the Baker Mayfield brand. “