State Farm Pulls Super Bowl Commercial, Shifts Focus to Supporting L.A. Wildfire Victims

State Farm Insurance, a perennial participant in the Super Bowl advertising showcase, is pulling a commercial from next month’s big game following the devastating California wildfires.

Before reading further, please consider clicking here to donate to wildfire relief.

The move comes one year after its spot was deemed best in show by voters in USA TODAY’s Ad Meter spot, winning the annual competition with a spot featuring Hollywood legends Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Collaborators on the winning spot included Chicago-based companies Highdive and Cutters Studios.

“State Farm, its agents, and employees are all focused on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy,” State Farm said in a statement released to USA TODAY and other news media outlets. “Our claims force is the largest in the industry and we are bringing the full scale and force of our catastrophe response teams to help customers recover – whether they are on the ground in LA or across the country.

“Our focus is firmly on providing to support to the people of Los Angeles. We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned.”

A Look Back to the Ad Meter Winning Spot

The 60-second spot, “Like A Good Neighbaa,” plays off Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent and his subsequent inability to pronounce the insurance company’s longtime tagline.

It also featured imagery of Schwarzenegger in several disaster hero roles, including lugging a pair of dogs to safety as a house burns in the background.

Here is a look back at the popular piece…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACDI6yMrBXo

Please Donate to Wildfire Relief

The wildfires that have devastated the Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods of Los Angeles have now killed at least 25 and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 residences and businesses. More than 200,000 residents were forced to flee their homes and at least 82,000 residents are still under evacuation orders, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday.

Please click here to donate to wildfire relief.

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