Welcome To Retirement, Professor Burke

By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon After 16 years of educating countless consumers about the importance of being properly insured, Professor Burke has traded in his suit and tie for a lei, sunglasses, and fruity drinks served up in coconuts. The Farmers Insurance spokescharacter, played by actor J.K. Simmons, is officially in retirement. “The truth is, it’s not only about me. Farmers has the real insurance knowledge,” Burke said in a video posted on the Farmers Insurance Meta account. The Professor isn’t even a full month into his next chapter and we’re already missing this iconic proxy for Farmers Insurance agents. PopIcon spoke to a Farmers Insurance representative to learn more about their new, pink “Honesty Is Our Policy” campaign, the decision to retire Professor Burke, and why you should never say never to the idea the Professor might “un-retire.” (ICYMI, we did a deep dive into how long brand mascots, and spokescharacters, stay retired and the timeline tends to be on the short side for many advertising icons. Do with that bit of information what you will.)

Can you share a bit more with us about the new “Honesty Is Our Policy” campaign and having Professor Burke retire?

We’ve had a great time with Professor Burke and are grateful to J.K. Simmons for bringing the character to life, but all professors reach their tenure, and we’ve retired him from the new campaign. “Honesty Is Our Policy” marks the beginning of a new era for Farmers. Consumer research showed many people find insurance difficult to understand, compare and evaluate. We saw an opportunity to lean into our existing strengths as an enterprise and design brand and customer experiences that reflect our longstanding commitment to clarity, transparency, and honesty. The campaign introduces a new voice for Farmers: direct, confident, insightful and refreshingly candid. We are evolving the iconic jingle from “We Are Farmers” to “You Have Farmers,” flipping the focus from the brand to the customer. And, because saying we’re different isn’t enough, Farmers also looks distinctly different – from its past and from the category – with an impossible-to-ignore pink, and a new brand asset in the Choir.

Let’s look back to 2010 when Professor Burke made his debut. What went into the decision to give Farmers its own spokescharacter?

When Professor Burke debuted in 2010, the idea was to create a memorable character who would act as a proxy for the experienced Farmers Insurance agency owners who help make customers smarter about insurance in communities across the country every day. Consumers immediately connected with the clever and quirky Professor Burke, who helped reinforce Farmers Insurance’s position as an experienced insurer with knowledgeable and industry-leading agents.

Can you share some of Professor Burke’s biggest moments?

One standout moment came during the 2015 Academy Awards ceremony when host Neil Patrick Harris congratulated J.K. Simmons on his Best Supporting Actor win with a playful twist on the Farmers jingle, singing “He won an Oscar, bum ba-dum bum bum bum bum!” Rather than define Professor Burke’s “greatest hits” ourselves, we’d leave that to the audiences who embraced the character for 16 years. Everyone seems to have their own favorite Professor Burke moment, and we’re grateful for the connection he built with consumers throughout his tenure with the brand.

Dos Equis brought back the iconic The Most Interesting Man in the World some 10 years after retirement this year. If we look ahead to 2036, could this happen with Professor Burke?

Never say never, but for now, Professor Burke has earned a well-deserved retirement. We are focused on the new campaign and excited about what’s next for Farmers.

Do you have anything to add as a “happy trails” message as Professor Burke kicks off his retirement?

Professor Burke has been a strong and recognizable part of the Farmers brand for many years, bringing a sense of wisdom, personality and humor to conversations about insurance. As a spokescharacter for Farmers, he helped generations of consumers learn a little more about insurance while making them smile along the way. We wish him all the best in retirement and thank J.K. Simmons for helping make the character such a memorable part of our history. Image Credit: Farmers Insurance About the Author Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.