• by Tanya Gazdik , April 11, 2012

Farmers Insurance is launching a new campaign featuring its partnership with Marvel's “The Avengers.”

Developed by advertising agency RPA, the campaign features actor J.K. Simmons as the illustrious Professor Nathaniel Burke, with his usual six sidekick agents dressed up in homemade Marvel’s The Avengers costumes touting “We’re the superheroes of insurance!”

“Being associated with the much-anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers gives Farmers advertising super powers, ” said John Ingersoll, vice president, advertising of Farmers Group, Inc. in a release. “This opportunity lets us have some Super Hero fun with our established University of Farmers characters and shine some Hollywood limelight on our brand.”

In the TV spot, directed by Roman Coppola, Professor Burke and the agents explore the similarities between being a Super Hero and being a super agent. The spot continues with a lighthearted exchange between Professor Burke and his agents, dressed in do-it-yourself costumes representing each of Marvel’s The Avengers’ characters: The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye.

It will launch on April 16, on premium prime-time programming including “Dancing with the Stars,” “2 Broke Girls” and “Biggest Loser,” and will run on cable networks that resonate with Marvel’s The Avengers fans, such as AMC, Comedy Central, TBS, TNT and Discovery Channel. Integrated creative will also run online on ABC, CBS and Hulu.

A print ad by Marvel Custom Solutions recreates the TV spot in comic book form and will run in select Marvel comic books in May and June.

A two-minute and 30-second behind-the-scenes video interviews costume designers, the prop team, and the super agents about incorporating Marvel’s The Avengers into the University of Farmers spot. To extend the campaign on Facebook, six hand-drawn “how-to” diagrams will be posted to help fans recreate the Marvel’s The Avengers costumes as seen in the TV spot.

The behind-the-scenes video will live on Farmers’ YouTube channel and will be posted to Farmers’ Facebook page with the six “how-to” diagrams.