We set out to challenge the Millennial and Gen Z consumers’ perception of State Farm as their parents’ insurance, through their passion for gaming. We needed to prove to these generations, who demand authenticity from their brands, that State Farm is a modern brand that’s there for them. And in gaming, you can’t airball on authenticity.

As players become more cynical and uninterested in static brand integrations, especially as more companies join the NBA 2K sponsor list, we knew we had to up our game. To authentically reach Millennial and Gen Z gamers in one of the most popular franchises, we introduced a new virtual neighbor to NBA 2K’s The City, making Jake from State Farm the first branded, non-playable character in NBA 2K history.

Gamers aren’t looking for insurance in The City. They’re looking to take their players to the next level. To enhance their experience, the Jake character brought state-of-the-art interactivity by guiding players’ stories and, through our first-of-its-kind NGBR GOODS store, hooked them up with his famous ‘fit – plus custom streetwear accessories – to spread good-neighbor vibes throughout 2K22.

We culminated our virtual Jakeover of 2K with the Battle of the Khakis livestream on Twitch, where Jake and five of the biggest names in the NBA 2K community battled it out to see who would take home the Golden Khakis.