Reel Ad of the Week

State Farm’s ‘Batman vs. Bateman’ delivers the Gotham showdown we didn’t know we needed

By The Geek
March 12, 2025

Consider me blown away. I’m grinning as if the Joker just doused me in Joker Toxin. With director Matt Reeves taking forever to give us The Batman II, we will now have to settle for this incredible new State Farm spot from Highdive. And we ain’t settling. Batman vs. Bateman is everything you didn’t know you needed—an epic clash between the Dark Knight and the guy from Ozark, proving that not all heroes (or insurance policies) are created equal.

A Super-Powered Cast with a Hilarious Twist

Premiering during the Big Ten Men’s Championship on March 15 and running throughout March Madness, Batman vs. Bateman is an all-star affair. Jason Bateman, SZA, Kai Cenat, Jordan the Stallion, Batsy himself, and, of course, Jake from State Farm all come together to highlight a simple truth: when it comes to insurance, just having coverage isn’t enough—you want State Farm.

The spot, directed by Hungryman’s Bryan Buckley, plays with the idea of mistaken identity in the most absurd way possible. While Bateman might have the name, there’s only one true Batman—and when it comes to insurance, there’s only one true provider that stands above the rest. Watch the extended version below:

State Farm’s Bold Play in Pop Culture

“This campaign allows our brand, known for driving cultural relevancy through entertainment, to boldly ask consumers if they’re confident the insurance they have includes the coverage they need,” said Kristyn Cook, State Farm’s chief agency, sales, and marketing officer. “Through the juxtaposition of Batman and Bateman, we’re building the narrative for consumers to question the value being offered by our competitors. Because it’s clear—just having insurance isn’t the same as getting the full value of having State Farm.”

State Farm has been leaning into cultural moments in a big way. Most recently Jake visited Lumon Industries and the cast from Severance. But this campaign—developed with Highdive and supported by FleishmanHillard, Infinity Marketing Team, OMD, Optimum Sports, The Marketing Arm, Warner Bros. Discovery, Creative License, and ThisMachine—takes things to a whole new level.

So, while we wait for Robert Pattinson’s return to Gotham, Batman vs. Bateman is here to hold us over. And just like there’s no substitute for Batman, there’s no substitute for State Farm.

One beef. If you’re going to get Jason Bateman and SZA, couldn’t you have gotten Batfleck as well?

CREDITS (Which reads as long as a Warner Bros. Movie):