Like a good neighbor, Chris Paul is there … in Houston!

This State Farm ad finds the NBA superstar exploring his new city, where he runs into a pair of his big-time baller friends. Naturally, they wind up driving around and singing along to the Backstreet Boys.

Doesn’t that sound like fun?

For the 2017-18 hoop season, Paul moved from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets. That shift formed the basis of “Going Away Party,” the nine-time All Star’s previous commercial for the insurer that dropped last last month. It featured Paul yukking it up with State Farm agent Cole Perez, played by Oscar Nunez from The Office.

Now there’s a sequel, which breaks widely on Christmas Day, and opens with the agent taking Paul on a “Grand Tour” that includes bowling, barbecue and “I Want It That Way” blasting on the car radio. Soon, they encounter two of Paul’s new Rockets teammates. Could one of them be James Harden, by any chance?

Of course it’s James Harden! (Hey, Trevor Ariza, nice harmonies, but have you considered growing out your beard?)

“As we thought about different ways to illustrate what it feels like when someone really gets you, we immediately thought about potential similarities between Cole and Chris,” says John Norman, creative chief at Translation, which developed the campaign. “From an identical food order to a favorite pastime of bowling to the same guilty-pleasure song, we wanted to use examples that people can identify with within their own personal relationships.”

What State Farm agents actually do for Paul—or anyone who makes a big move—is kind of vague. They bowl and sing with you? Cool.

As for the so-awful-it’s-awesome song selection, Norman says “I Want It That Way” turned out to be the perfect choice, in no small part because “the talent knew all the words.”

Everyone seems to have fun, and client advertising director Patty Morris says the bromance between Paul and his State Farm agent “is carried throughout the rest of the campaign.”

An unnamed former Rocket—Norman calls him “an NBA legend”—will join Paul and Co. in future ads. Could it be Charles Barkley? The Round Mound has gnarly car-ayoke skills, so he’d fit right in.

CREDITS

Brand/Client: State Farm

Campaign Title: Sixth Sense

Spot Title: “Grand Tour” (:60/:30L/:15L/:15L)

First Air Date: December 25th, 2017

Agency: Translation, LLC

Chief Executive Officer & Founder: Steve Stoute

President: Patrick Lafferty

Chief Creative Officer: John Norman

Group Creative Director: Eric Steele

Group Creative Director: Lance Ferguson

Creative Director: Tucker Loosbrock

Creative Director: Stephen Petronis

Director of Content Production: Miriam Franklin

Director of Business Affairs: Thalia Tsouros

Executive Content Producer: Colleen Miller

Integrated/Digital Content Producer: Sara Tunstall

Associate Producer: Ruganzu Howard

Copywriter: Andrew Kim

Art Director: Dan Koo

Group Account Director: Susanna Swartley

Account Director: Julia Farber

Account Director: Zach Dioneda

Account Executive: Chloe Williams

Group Strategy Director: John McBride

Strategy Director: Geoff McHenry

Social Strategy Director: John Petty

Social Strategist: Netta Dobbins

Senior Project Manager: Meredith Volpe

Production Company: World War Seven

Director: David Shafei

Director of Photography: Bryan Newman

Executive Producer: Josh Ferrazzano

Line Producer: Bo Clancey

Editorial Company: Arcade Edit NYC

Editor: Dave Anderson

Assistant Editor: Joseph Petruccio

Post Executive Producer: Sila Soyer

Senior Post Producer: Fanny Cruz

VFX Company: Framestore NYC

Executive Producer: Nick Fraser

VFX Senior Producer: Lily Tilton

Shoot Supervisor: Maura Hurley

VFX Supervisor: Martin Lazaro

Design/Matte Painting Team:

3D TEAM:

CG Lead: Charlotte Bae, Steven Johnson

2D TEAM:

Compositing Supervisor: Martin Lazaro

Composite Team:

Greg Cutler, Liz Yang, Elaina Brillantes, Xuechu Chang, Philip Rambowski

Color Grade Company: Company 3

Colorist: Tim Masick

Producer: Colleen Valentino

Audio Post: Heard City

Mixer: Phil Loeb

Executive Producer: Sasha Awn

Music: Ring The Alarm

Partners: Brent Nichols & Daron Hollowell

Executive Creative Director: Brent Nichols

Executive Producer: Daron Hollowell

Producer: Dylan Marder

Backstreet Boys

“I Want It That Way”