So Much Football: Mahomes, Crews and Meghan Trainor Star for State Farm and Sonic

Spanning the NFL and college scene

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Football season is upon us, so let’s take a look at NFL and college campaigns from State Farm and Sonic.

First, State Farm and The Marketing Arm expand an NCAA Tournament campaign from earlier this year that illustrates the difference between having insurance and having State Farm.

In “Trainor vs. Trainer,” Jake from State Farm highlights how important it is for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to have a sports trainer get him field-ready … as opposed to pop star Meghan Trainor.

“Give it up for Patrick. He does sports,” she says. 

A second spot stars Detroit Lions defensive end and 2024 team captain Aidan Hutchinson. Shenanigans ensue when a ship captain takes charge of a defensive lineup.

“I spy motion on the port side, ARRRGH,” he says. Time to abandon ship!

“Football season is one of the rare moments when the whole country comes together to watch, making it a powerful stage for brands to shape culture. State Farm has become synonymous with sports and that’s not by chance—we are intentional on how we show up season after season,” says Alyson Griffin, State Farm’s head of marketing. “Built on a simple truth that having insurance is not the same as having State Farm, we are bringing this message to life with humor and star power from both on and off the field.”

In college football news, Sonic and Mother L.A. launched the Terry Crews School of Acting for Athletes. Former NFLer Crews coaches college players on how to look comfortable and believable in ads. 

Michael Taaffe, Colin Simmons and Ryan Wingo from University of Texas at Austin, along with Marcel Reed and Rueben Owens from Texas A&M, are the first class taught by Crews. All the emotions come out when your co-star is the Sonic smasher cheeseburger. The long-form spot below previews an upcoming set of ads that will run throughout the fall football season. It’s also the first time Sonic inked NIL deals with college athletes.

“Sonic created the Smasher to be the burger football fans deserve. Which led us to ask, “What else do football fans deserve?” As we looked at the advertising/football landscape, we realized every ad break in every game is filled with famous players, and, if we’re being honest, their acting isn’t great,” says Ben Bliss, GCD at Mother LA. “So if Sonic is going to have players in its ads, then we want the acting to be as good as the Sonic Smasher.”

“What impressed us most about the players was their ability to shed their egos and commit to the process. In front of their rivals, in front of a famous actor, in front of a camera and crew, they embraced the work,” adds Galen Graham, GCD at Mother LA. “There’s no question the ads are better for it. Hopefully, we’ve given them a process and some new skills they can bring to future opportunities. One of the most memorable moments on set was with Colin Simmons’ emotional performance in the forthcoming spot titled “Injury.” He needed to show pain and concern—and he needed to cry. We’ve all seen real actors give wildly over-the-top performances when asked to cry on command, but Colin delivered a subtle and nuanced performance that felt real.”