Charter advertiser State Farm debuts iAd campaign to culturally diverse audience
State Farm has launched the State Farm NBA All-Star 2011 Sweepstakes via iAd, Apple?s mobile advertising network.
Users engaging with the ad can enter to win an ultimate fan experience trip to this year?s All-Star festivities in Los Angeles and learn about the history of the game. As a charter iAd advertiser, State Farm is using the platform to offer millions of basketball fans an immersive All-Star experience directly through interaction on iPhone and iPod touch.
?The strategy behind the iAd is a continuation of what we want to do in the digital mobile-social space,? said Tim Van Hoof, director of marketing and communications at State Farm, Bloomington, IL.
?IAd provides a one-to-one opportunity with an app-within-an-app environment,? he said. ?We are able to target more specific audiences and tailor an experience to them.
?IAd gave us an opportunity to better target the message and experience to a specific audience who is younger and more culturally diverse.?
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the United States. It is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada.
iAd details
The ads are running within young adult-skewing applications in categories such as music, sports and social.
After clicking on the banner, users are transported to an environment in the spirit of the game. After a brief video styled after a starting lineup announcement, consumers are placed on a State Farm branded basketball court.
Here is a screen grab:
One area allows users to scroll through previous All-Star logos and learn about locations, scores and MVPs of those games. Another lets them revisit past All-Star Games and watch some of their favorite players in action.
Consumers can register for the sweepstakes and watch some highlights.
There is also the option to download the State Farm Pocket Agent application.
?We found that we could engage with the audience about something they are truly passionate about ? basketball ? and then we serve up a valuable mobile application,? Mr. Van Hoof said.
?We challenged our creative agencies to work with Apple to create the experience,? he said. ?We had several strong ideas and they vetted through and helped us pick the best ones.
?I would say mobile is extremely important to us in this three screen world spanning television, PC and mobile. Of the three, the mobile screen is most explosive.?