Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback, has been a virtual presence at sporting events, game shows and evening news shows for more than a decade. Rodgers attracted attention and condemnation after testing positive for Covid-19 and revealing he had not been vaccinated. As a result, State Farm commercials featuring Aaron Rodgers disappeared from broadcast networks. He appeared in just 1.5 percent of the roughly 400 State Farm commercials aired Sunday, according to Apex Marketing Company, a marketing and research firm.
Apex confirmed this in an email compared to the previous two Sundays (October 24 and 31), where “Brady ads” made up more than 20% of all United Farm spots. According to Apex President, Eric Smallwood: “Tracking shows that this is not a planned decline but rather a reaction since no significant new advertising has been stopped.”, as reported Action Network
We disagree with some of his statements: State Farm
State Farm hailed Aaron Rodgers as “a great role model for our company for over a decade.” But he tried to distance himself from his anti-vaccines.
“We disagree with some of his statements, but we appreciate his right to speak,” the company added.. “We recognize that our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from different backgrounds. Everyone has the right to choose their side based on their personal situation.“, State Farm said and called for vaccination against the coronavirus.
State Farm spokeswoman Gina Morss-Fischer did not immediately respond whether the company plans to continue using Aaron Rodgers in its advertising. Rodgers’ nine-year relationship with Wisconsin-based Prevea Health ended Saturday, the company announced Friday. Prevea claimed on Twitter that the decision was mutual. Aaron Rodgers has recently appeared in commercials for Adidas, Bose, Izod and Pizza Hut. However, according to an email from Domino’s, they have not “worked with him” since 2012. The status of Rodgers’ business dealings with the three other companies was unclear Monday and requests for clarification went unanswered.
Brand Keys founder Robert Passikoff said Aaron Rodgers put State Farm in a difficult position because his claims about vaccines contradicted the company’s mission.
“As an insurance company, you must be attentive to your customers” he added. “You can discuss your views, but people shouldn’t be sick. Passikoff noted that Rodgers’ “failure to get vaccinated reflects on all of them and draws them into a debate they don’t need.”
Rodgers said Friday on Sirius XM’s “The Pat McAfee Exhibit” that he was sensitive to a chemical found in two of the FDA-approved shots. However, he did not explain what chemical he was allergic to and how he knew it. Instead, Aaron Rodgers said he was given monoclonals and vancomycin and praised podcaster Joe Rogan for promoting unproven Covid therapies.
The FDA has not approved ivermectin for human use and recommends against use of the veterinary version. However, Passikoff believes that other companies that use Aaron Rodgers to market posters or plan to do so next year will “depart from God,” if only to avoid social and political conflicts.
Concerning social conflicts and political parties around vaccination, he said: “There is no reason to get involved in that.”
Rodgers could align himself with companies that target outsiders, such as those who reject the medical consensus on vaccinations or the coronavirus skepticism associated with some Republicans. However, Larry DeGaris, a sports marketing professor at Indiana University, doubts any company would go that route.
“Why cause controversy when there are so many risk-free options?” I’m sure some CEOs of private companies like MyPillow would. But not the big brands. After a period of “reflection,” Passikoff believes Aaron Rodgers might return to corporate advertising. I don’t think the memories are that long. he admitted. “Memories will fade when Covid no longer opens up all the TV news in America. »