State Farm Commercial: Neighborhood of Good Campaign

This past holiday season, State Farm debuted their commercial titled, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" which was used to promote the company's Neighborhood of Good campaign. The commercial features a man singing the song, "Don't You Forget About Me", while in a shelter filled with many volunteers and homeless adults and children. Friendly conversations can be seen taking place, as food and drinks are given out, while the shelter illuminates with warm lighting and a glowing Christmas tree. The camera then does a close up of the man singing, as he cups his hands together while taking a   quick break from playing the piano to warm up his fingers. The camera then pans out to reveal the man sitting in the exact same spot, however now the shelter is virtually empty of volunteers, while many homeless people are still gathered around. "The season of giving ends, but the need remains," is  then displayed on the screen, which then transitions into, "Volunteer at NeigborhoodofGood.com."

During the holidays, a high demand for volunteers for the homeless and poor can be prominently seen. The Salvation Army stands outside of hectic businesses in the hopes that people will donate money to help those less fortunate. Since the Christmas season is all about giving, it is easy for people to feel an emotional need to donate or contribute in any way they can. That is what organizations like the Salvation Army count on, and the holidays are usually the time of the year when they do receive the most money and donations. But for many people, the spirit of giving can dissipate after the season is over. State Farm decided to call attention to that while also giving viewers a solution on how to fix it by joining their movement and becoming a volunteer. The message of their commercial is true; homeless people will still remain homeless after Christmas, just like less fortunate people will remain poor. Although an unfortunate reality, it is something that people should be reminded of. The commercial touched on the emotional appeal of its viewers, using as very realistic depiction of a homeless shelter and homeless people. The song, "Don't You Forget About Me," ads an auditory touch which makes the audience feel connected just a little bit more.

The full commercial can be seen below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceK5ukiw6cc