Cut to 2011, the State Farm commercial featuring Jake goes viral, a term seldom used then. Almost ten years later, we have the same Jake with a different face, finishing at the same spot. In this quick read, we learn about the Jakes from State Farm, what changed, and what the reboot means to State Farm.
Who is Jake from State Farm?
Jake from State Farm is an insurance agent who turned an otherwise cliché situation into an ad that was hilarious and memorable. It upped the internet game for State Farm. What didn’t look like a direct sales pitch led to Jake becoming State Farm’s mascot with dedicated space on their website and a Twitter account. Netizens also created several Jake from State Farm memes that became quite popular.
The person who played the role in the 2011 ad was Jake Stone, a State Farm agent. He had applied to the internal casting call and had succeeded in donning the role of a customer care agent.
After the commercial’s success, life did not change much for Jake Stone, but it did for State Farm. The gamechanger commercial also faced backlash from the transgender community for the dialogue that the wife mentions. She says, “she [Jake] sounds hideous,” and the husband replies, “That’s because she’s a guy.”
Who is the new Jake?
In 2020, State Farm rebooted its 2011 hit commercial along the same lines with a new face, played by Kevin Miles. This time though, they had an expanded role planned for their character Jake, suited to Gen Z and the millennial audiences. Neither did they forget to tweak the dialogue that backfired before, nor did they forget Jack Stoner, the employee who initially played Jack in the new ad.
Kevin Mimms (Miles) now features Jake from State Farm, starring in the various versions of the commercial from 2020.
What did Jake mean to State Farm in 2011?
If the sit-com Friends said, I’ll be there for you, State Farm meant I’ll be there for you even in the middle of the night. Jake was introduced as a part of the State of Unrest campaign that spoke the message the company wanted to share in a light yet powerful manner.
According to Urban Dictionary, Jake from 2011 now means some cool kid in khakis. The cult following of Jake had been massive that State Farm decided to adopt Jake as their corporate mascot. They did turn their tagline Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there into a corporate value.
State Farm launched its Neighborhood of Good platform, a website that helps find volunteer opportunities in the neighborhood. They also partner with community-based non-profit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, and DonorsChoose.org. In 2022 they changed their slogan to Here to help life go right, speaking for the company’s wide-ranging offerings.
Why did they reboot the ad after a decade?
Relaunching the character indicates that the company’s values haven’t changed over the years. It also meant expanding the social media presence of this mascot to Instagram as well.
What happened to the original Jake from State Farm?
Jake Stone was a State Farm employee selected for the commercial through an internal casting call. The ad went viral, and he was recognized in public due to the wide acceptance of the commercial. Later, he quit his job at State Farm to juggle a bartender’s job and worked for the town of Normal. He was seen in the revamped version of the ad in 2020, with Kevin Miles portraying the new Jake.
How much does Jake from State Farm make?
The original Jake, the real-life State Farm agent named Jake Stone, made around $10,000 for his role as himself in the commercial. Kevin Miles, the new Jake, earns around $10,000 to $15,000 for his ads. He’s also a social media influencer with a net worth of $2 million.
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