During Super Bowl LV on February 9, 2021, Stand-In Central was so happy to see State Farm’s hilarious commercial titled “Drake from State Farm“!

In the commercial, recognizable personalities who definitely aren’t stand-ins play stand-ins for football players and “Jake from State Farm.”

About State Farm’s Super Bowl Commercial

iSpot.tv describes the commercial in this way:

Jake from State Farm, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes are taking a break from filming their Super Bowl LV ad, and it seems Aaron and Patrick have a bone to pick with Jake. Why are their stand-ins for a Big Game ad people who look nothing like them? Aaron Rodgers’ thinks that wearing a cheesehead makes him a Packer, and, though Paul Rudd might boast some Kansas City roots, his ball-handling skills look nothing like Mahomes’. Only Jake is happy with his – but who wouldn’t be happy with a stand-in like Drake? Until Drake tries to steal his lines, that is.

Have a watch:

And here’s a 15-second additional clip titled “Rudd Sign”:

There were also a couple teasers for State Farm’s Super Bowl ad, which came out before.  Take this one, titled “Team State Farm Roster”:

And this other teaser:

 

The spot was created for State Farm by ad agency The Marketing Arm. On its website, The Marketing Arm wrote about its work on the spots.

How Well Did the State Farm Commercial Represent Stand-Ins?

The State Farm commercial appears to depict behind-the-scenes of a commercial shoot. While Stand-In Central primarily focuses on TV/film stand-ins, there isn’t much difference between TV/film stand-ins and TV commercial stand-ins.

The commercial accurately represents some general truths about stand-ins.

What Stand-Ins Wear

For one, as is the case with Drake playing the stand-in for Jake, Drake is dressed in similar wardrobe as Jake.

Drake is in a red polo, while Jake is in the same red color, though a long-sleeved turtleneck.

It’s not clear why State Farm didn’t simply have Jake in a standard State Farm polo as well. But the reality is stand-ins don’t usually wear the exact same clothing as their respective actors. However, they may wear the same or similar color as their actors.

What Stand-Ins Say (or Don’t Say!)

Also, Jake points out to Drake that “Stand-ins don’t have lines.”

Jake says this when Drake tries to say Jake’s lines in front of Jake.

It is true that stand-ins don’t have lines. However, on some sets, stand-ins will say the lines the principal actors say, especially during rehearsals.

(Most stand-ins don’t give riveting performances. Simple line readings usually suffice!)

Similarity of Stand-Ins and Principals

Stand-ins don’t need to be spitting images of the actors for whom they stand in.

Usually, all they need to be is about the same height, about the same body type, and about the same skin tone. Gender usually figures in, too.

Part of the humor of the commercial is just how mismatched the stand-ins are for the principal talent.

Adrian Martinez physically is very different from Aaron Rodgers — plus, he’s wearing a distracting and inappropriate cheese hat for stand-in work.

Paul Rudd is also physically very different from Patrick Mahomes — plus, Rudd is evidently a terrible football player. (Rodgers actually thinks Rudd’s terrible football skills are great for Mahomes’s stand-in to have.)

Drake is actually a decent choice for Jake’s stand-in, which the commercial also points out.

The only thing evidently going against Drake as a stand-in for Jake is that Drake is maybe a little too tall, and physically may be too different from Jake.

That said, plenty of shoots would find Drake an acceptable stand-in for Jake, especially if it’s hard to find a suitable stand-ins!

A Sidenote about Stand-Ins

While stand-ins are made to be clowns in the State Farm commercial, be it known that stand-in work is professional work.

It does take some skill and experience in order to be a really great stand-in.

Your similarity to an actor will only get you so far when you stand in. When it comes to standing in, knowing how to conduct yourself on a set is pretty important.

In most cases, clamoring for the attention of the principal performer (as Martinez and Rudd do) is not only frowned upon, it might get you fired!

In general, stand-ins aren’t the center of attention on a set. They are more of a tool for production to set up shots.

The better able you are to do what production needs to set up a shot for your principal actor, usually the better for you and production.

Plus, if it goes well with you, you may find you get more stand-in opportunities in the future!

Want to Learn How to Be an Excellent Stand-In?

If you’re wondering how to develop the skills of an excellent stand-in — more Drake, less Martinez or Rudd — make sure you download your own copy of The Stand-In Handbook. That’s Stand-In Central’s guide for learning how to be a great stand-in.

Download The Stand-In Handbook now!

What did you think of the State Farm Super Bowl commercial? Were you by chance a stand-in who worked on the commercial? Share your experiences in the comments below!