Why ‘Lily from AT&T’ isn’t a Thing
The big mistake AT&T made that State Farm didn’t
When I first saw the original ‘Jake from State Farm’ commercial, I knew State Farm had a hit on their hands. It was light, hilarious, and completely relatable.
It felt like your average comedy. A ridiculous situation that would never happen in real life, but felt believable anyway. An average looking guy and his nagging overbearing wife made a joke that would later be cleaned up and remade. Sounds like Hollywood doesn’t it?
But more than a hit, State Farm had an advertising model on their hands. What if a company could trick the consumer into thinking they’re nothing more than an average, relatable guy? What if a company could become someone you wanted to have a beer with? And better yet, what if they could make you appreciate them?
With that notion in mind, a soulless insurance giant set to work re-casting the real Jake with an actor who could portray Jake in all future State Farm commercials.
Why recast? The official word from State Farm is that they needed a “real actor” to act out the scenes they had in mind. They couldn’t just use some average guy from within their company for real acting.
They needed a real thespian to do such strenuous work as lifting a coffee cup that…
