Reel Ad of the Week

State Farm adds a Guard and a King to its Mahomes ‘verse

By Reel Chicago
October 17, 2025

State Farm is back on the gridiron with two fresh 30-second spots that keep the brand’s winning NFL campaign with Patrick Mahomes humming, and they both land squarely in our sweet spot for casting, concept, and Chicago craft.

We covered the first wave (Trainer and Captain) when Mahomes teamed with Meghan Trainor and Jake from State Farm to remind fans that having insurance isn’t the same as having State Farm. The next drive keeps that message moving downfield.

First up is “Guard,” a Kansas City special that slides Pro Bowl offensive lineman Trey Smith into the lineup alongside his QB1. The joke is sharp and simple: when protection really matters, you don’t want a crossing guard, you want a 6’5”, 320-pound enforcer keeping blindside danger at bay.

The spot lets Mahomes and Smith do what they do best: trade easy, teammate energy while Jake deadpans the translation for the rest of us. It’s a clean football-to-insurance metaphor, executed with just enough locker-room rhythm to feel authentic. Watch below:

Then there’s “King Henry,” which pairs Baltimore’s Derrick Henry with…well, another King Henry—the Tudor with the ornate collar and questionable people skills. One is royalty by nickname, the other by bloodline, and only one breaks tackles on Sundays.

With Jake serving as the straight man, the spot winks at the season’s core theme: would you rather trust the real deal or someone just wearing the crown? It’s playful, quick, and instantly readable in a noisy game break.

The continuity across all four ads is the real star. State Farm and TMA Chicago are building a connected world, familiar characters, consistent tone, one idea repeated from different angles, so the branding hits before the logo does. The performances stay grounded, the jokes come from character (not catchphrases), and the football logic maps perfectly to the product promise: absolute protection beats look-alike coverage.

These new pieces rotate with the earlier football work across broadcast, streaming, and digital throughout the season, keeping Jake front and center as the franchise’s dependable narrator while giving fans new moments to quote on Monday morning.

Why it’s our Reel Ad of the Week: tight writing, excellent athlete casting, and a campaign spine that knows precisely what it’s selling, in a category that loves noise, State Farm wins on clarity, and a little swagger from its stars doesn’t hurt, either.

CREDITS:

BRAND: State Farm