State Farm is opening Super Bowl LX by telling viewers to stop Livin’ on a Prayer and start taking their insurance a little more seriously.
Created by TMA and directed by Hungryman’s Dan Opsal, the brand’s Big Game spot turns Bon Jovi’s iconic anthem into a full-blown parody designed to spotlight the difference between having insurance and having State Farm.
The ad stars Keegan-Michael Key and Danny McBride as the proudly incompetent founders of a fictional insurer called Halfway There Insurance, joined by Hailee Steinfeld and global pop group KATSEYE. According to the brand, it marks the first time Livin’ on a Prayer has been used in a Super Bowl commercial.
The premise is simple and deliberately absurd. Hailee Steinfeld plays a customer shopping for coverage, only to be lured into Halfway There Insurance, a company that, much like the lyrics of the song it’s built around, never quite gets the job done. Key and McBride’s characters sing, gesture, and confidently underdeliver, embodying the idea of coverage that looks good on paper but falls apart when it matters.
Halfway There Insurance serves as a comedic foil to State Farm, pushing viewers to ask whether they truly feel protected or if they’re just hoping things work out. The contrast reinforces State Farm’s core message: real coverage, real people, and real support when life goes sideways. Watch below:
For Steinfeld, the humor clicked because of the contrast. “Playing the customer opposite Keegan and Danny was so fun. They were hilarious and fully committed to doing everything halfway. It really drives home why you need someone who knows what they’re doing,” she said, adding that being part of a Super Bowl campaign was “an experience I will never forget.”
Keegan-Michael Key echoed that the comedy is what makes the message stick. “I had an absolute blast with Danny playing our ‘Halfway There Insurance’ guys. The comedy takes off when Hailee shows up needing help and all we really do is sing and make a bigger mess. The whole campaign works because it’s funny and clever, and at the same time makes you think about what you’re actually getting from your insurance.”
McBride leaned into the absurdity. “Keegan and I had a blast bringing ‘Halfway There Insurance’ to life. We got to commit to the bit, lean into the comedy and make something that State Farm could use to say something real about being covered.”
Music is the engine of the spot, with KATSEYE helping reimagine Bon Jovi’s anthem for a new generation. The group called the opportunity “insane,” saying they had fun bringing their own energy to a song that’s already deeply embedded in pop culture.
From a brand perspective, the campaign reflects State Farm’s confidence in stepping into cultural conversations beyond sports. Kristyn Cook, executive vice president and chief agency, sales and marketing officer at State Farm, said the spot is designed to be familiar, entertaining, and unmistakably on-brand, while still asking an important question: do you really have the coverage you need?
The spot is also designed as a “to be continued” moment. The first chapter, titled Stop Livin’ on a Prayer TBC, will debut in the coveted A1 position, opening the Super Bowl broadcast on February 8. The story then continues during the game itself, setting up a surprise payoff that extends the joke and the message. Beyond the Big Game, the campaign rolls into a broader full-funnel effort with placements tied to major cultural moments, including the Winter Olympics.
State Farm’s return to the Super Bowl comes after sitting out in 2025, when the insurer pulled its planned ad in response to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. That decision underscored the brand’s sensitivity to real-world events, even as it continues to invest heavily in culturally resonant storytelling.
With Stop Livin’ on a Prayer, State Farm isn’t just parodying a rock classic. It’s using humor, music, and a deliberately half-baked competitor to remind viewers that when it comes to insurance, halfway there isn’t good enough.
CREDITS:
BRAND: State Farm
AGENCY: TMA
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Hungryman
Director: Dan Opsal
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