State Farm stands behind spokesman Aaron Rodgers
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State Farm is sticking with longtime spokesman Aaron Rodgers, despite controversial comments he made last week about COVID-19 vaccines.
In a statement to USA Today on Monday, the insurance giant said the Green Bay Packers quarterback has been a “great ambassador for our company.”
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“We don’t support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view,” the statement read. “We recognize our customers, employees, agents and brand ambassadors come from all walks of life, with differing viewpoints on many issues. Our mission at State Farm is to support safer, stronger communities. To that end, we encourage vaccinations, but respect everyone’s right to make a choice based on their personal circumstances.”
Still, Apex Marketing Group, which tracks ad buying, said only 1.5 percent of State Farm’s television ads on Sunday featured Rodgers, compared to 25 percent the previous two Sundays.
“Our monitoring indicates that this wasn’t a planned reduction and more reactionary because there wasn’t any new significant ads put in its place,” Apex president Eric Smallwood said in a statement, per CNN.
On Saturday, Wisconsin-based Prevea Health and Rodgers ended a partnership that began in 2012.
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“Prevea Health remains deeply committed to protecting its patients, staff, providers and communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic,” the organization said. “This includes encouraging and helping all eligible populations to become vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent the virus from further significantly impacting lives and livelihoods.”
Rodgers tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and missed Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, Rodgers said he wasn’t vaccinated but rather had “immunized” himself against the virus by following alternate therapies. He said he was not anti-vaccination in general but that it wasn’t the right decision for him.
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