Farmers Insurance
University of Farmers

American strategy → Concept built for American Culture

A long-running brand platform that reframed Farmers’ perceived weakness into a distinctive strength, helping an outspent insurer become one of the most recognizable brands in the category.

Problem

Farmers was massively outspent by competitors and lacked clear differentiation. The brand was seen as dull, invisible, and so indistinct that its advertising was often misattributed to State Farm.

Solution

Instead of trying to be louder, we chose to be smarter. We built the University of Farmers, a fictional institution that embodied Farmers’ deep, real-world expertise through its agents, led by the authoritative yet approachable Professor Burke. The platform turned knowledge into empowerment and anchored the brand around the idea that smarter insurance makes customers smarter.

Results

The campaign transformed Farmers into an iconic brand and has run for over a decade with sustained effectiveness. It delivered some of the highest recall in the brand’s history, achieved the lowest cost per point of communication effectiveness in the category, and earned a Gold Effie Award for Sustained Success in 2020.