State Farm entered 2020 with a new brand campaign that put a fresh spin on the brand's role as a helpful, no-nonsense partner and iconic good neighbor. NBA All-Star Weekend 2020, as a major cultural moment, was the first big opportunity for State Farm to bring this renewed campaign to basketball fans.
When we heard Chicago would host the massive, multi-day event, our initial thought was that the NBA front office was clearly insane; we knew February in Chicago and it was ugly. Snot-freezing temperatures and sidewalks coated in a trash-and-salt-fortified grey slush awaited unsuspecting NBA fans traveling into town.
The next thought was that State Farm had just been handed a perfect opportunity to demonstrate themselves as the ultimate good neighbor in their own back yard.
We'd build an unavoidable oasis for hoops fans in the icy heart of winter Chicago tourism.
We'd build an unavoidable oasis for hoops fans in the icy heart of winter Chicago tourism.
We secured a Millennium Park footprint in between Chicago's iconic Cloudgate Sculpture (Known to most as The Bean) and The Art Institute of Chicago. The park is a can't-miss destination surrounded by major hotels that were packed with visiting NBA fans.
The renderings above and below depict the final form of our escape from the elements, packed with helpful and surprising basketball awesomeness.
The renderings above and below depict the final form of our escape from the elements, packed with helpful and surprising basketball awesomeness.
Hoops fans are notorious sneakerheads. State Farm is always there to protect your stuff. So, as soon as visitors stepped through the front doors and shook off the snow and cold, they were met with a kicks protection station.
After taking a seat and having their precious footwear cleaned of winter grime by experts, fans collected a shoe protection kit to ensure their kicks stayed covered from the elements.
Two of the cultural touchpoints that State Farm re-embraced with the new 2020 brand campaign were the character Jake from State Farm and the khakis that made him a legend.
We tapped hip-hop fashion icon, tailor to the NBA stars, and Chicago native Don C. to create a basketball-inspired pair of khakis. A single pair of these extremely limited-edition warmups went on display and up for grabs in a sweepstakes.
Fans lined up for the chance to take home a custom pair.
Don C. and the freshly reintroduced Jake from State Farm dropped by our space
on Saturday morning to hype the experience and extend the footprint through
social channels and earned media.
on Saturday morning to hype the experience and extend the footprint through
social channels and earned media.
What better way to warm up than to get moving? Friends and family were invited to challenge each other on State Farm-branded pop-a-shot machines. High scores instantly populated a nearby leaderboard for immediate fist-pumps and all-day bragging rights.
A pair of NBA 2K gaming stations rounded out the space.
A pair of NBA 2K gaming stations rounded out the space.
Before heading back out into the Chicago cold, State Farm made sure that visitors were as warm as possible with a complimentary hot drink and fleece headband.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm was was there for basketball fans throughout the frigid weekend, reinforcing its protective role to visitors from across the country.
