Was Jake from State Farm Always Black?

No, Jake from State Farm was always not black. Initially, Jake from State Farm was an out-of-shape older white guy. There was a rumor that the out-of-shape older white guy was really a State Farm agent and his name was also Jake. He did some commercials as a side gig but he never was an actor. When State Farm changed the ad idea they brought in the young black actor who is the current “Jake from State Farm. This is a totally different character and a new person but State farm keeps the old name “Jake.”

Key Takeaways

• The character Jack was first introduced in the State farm commercial
• After the ad was released State farm decides that Jake is their mascot
• The person who played the role of “Jake from State Farm” is named Jake Stone
• Recently State Farm introduced a new Jake and his real name is Kevin Mimms
• The new Jake is black so it’s an obvious indication that State farm is trying for diversity casting

Why did State Farm Recast “Jake from State Farm”?

Due to the COVID – 19 pandemic, State Farm had to recast the ‘Jake from State Farm’ ad. Most of the companies tried to update their ads as well as the message. Therefore instead of running an old ad, State Farm also started to show newer, cheaper, homemade commercials to target the new desires of customers. In the new ad, you will see “Jake from State Farm” is sharing the marketing message over a Zoom-style video.

The Evaluation of “Jake from State Farm”

The character Jack was first introduced in a genuinely funny State farm commercial in 2011. In that ad, a State farm customer was calling his insurance provider at an odd hour in the morning like 3 am. While the customer was on the phone speaking with the customer agent, his girlfriend or wife comes downstairs and hears him talking. The woman suspects that the man is having an affair. She doesn’t believe the man and wants to talk with the person on the other side of the phone. Then she talks to Jake and after hearing his voice the woman said that the voice is hideous. Then the man said, “that’s because he’s a man.” This ad become very popular and State farm also made a huge profit. After the ad was released State farm decides that Jake is their mascot and since then the popularity of “Jake from State Farm” took off.

The Man behind the “Jake from State Farm”

The person who played the role of “Jake from State Farm” is named Jake Stone. Jake Stone is a real-life State Farm employee and he won the role at a company casting call. Here, Jake is a regular guy who is playing a version of himself in a TV commercial. In the beginning the commercial become popular but with time the commercial started to generate negative comments because of the subtext behind the commercial. The dialog “she sounds hideous” get the most negative attention because the line was an indication that a deep voice specified a hideous woman. Therefore, State farm released a new commercial where the punch line was taken out. In the new version, State farm introduced a new Jake who is black. State Farm assistant vice president of marketing said – 

“The original Jake did great at delivering his famous line… however, this expanded role is very demanding, and is best filled by a professional actor.”

The name of the new Jake is Kevin Mimms and the introduction of Kevin Mimms has raised a lot of controversy about replacing the original actor. In fact, the new version of Jake has lots of dislikes on YouTube than likes, and there were lots of angry comments. The new Jake is black so it is an obvious indication that State farm is trying for diversity casting. The voice of the new Jake is soft so it is quite clear that State Farm has moved from the “deep voice” that “caused lots of controversies.

FAQS about Was Jake from State Farm Always Black

What happened to the white Jake from State Farm?

The white Jake from State Farm is replaced by a black guy. Nowadays many companies are replacing white people and diversity. State Farm also does that by replacing the white Jake with a black Jake.

Who was the original Jake from State Farm?

The original character of Jake from State Farm is named Jake Stone. In real life, he was a State Farm insurance agent. He worked in Bloomington, Illinois.

Who is the black actor in the State Farm commercials?

The name of the black actor in the State Farm commercials is Kevin Miles. State farm was looking for a more professional actor for their character Jake therefore they replaced the old Jake with Kevin Miles. Kevin Miles is an American television and movie actor and some of his famous works are S.W.A.T (2017), Criminal Minds (2019), Innocent (2010), etc.

References:

https://medium.com/money-clip/why-jake-from-state-farm-had-to-be-re-cast-133f5b4bf0dd
https://www.thethings.com/jake-from-state-farm-replaced-kevin-miles/

Last Updated on November 4, 2022 by Magalie D.