It all began last year with a small branded entertainment project that featured three aspiring Mexican musicians, who met each other at a casting call for the State Farm Insurance commercial. With the company?s support, the trio formed a band named Los Felinos.
Now, State Farm has decided to up the ante. The company is sponsoring an eight-episode reality show centering on the band, their story, and their challenges along the road to stardom.
The documentary, titled ?La Banda Del Pueblo? or ?The People?s Band?, is now being filmed by the company?s U.S. Hispanic agency, Alma DDB, with the help of Fire Advertainment, a branded entertainment company. The show is set to debut on NBC Universal on September 13.
The band members are now being heavily marketed. The band began with three musicians, but it is now comprised of six musicians. They include a former gardener, a former construction worker, and a mariachi singer.
?They’re going through an image revamp,? said Luis Miguel Messianu, chief creative officer of Alma DDB. ?They’ll be more professional, more sophisticated. Maybe a couple of them will lose some weight.?
In the actual series, State Farm will make subtle product placements.
Source: AdAge