• by Tanya Gazdik , July 16, 2009

The insurance company enlisted Lincoln, Neb.-based Archrival to create a guerilla campaign targeting young adults in four Midwestern states to promote renter and car insurance. Archrival handled strategy, creative and media for the campaign, which runs through the fall.

Tactics include online banner ads, movie trailers, gas pump toppers, Facebook social ads, street team materials, and agent giveaways. The targeted states are Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, says Archrival Creative Director Clint Runge.

"State Farm is making a push at going after a younger audience," Runge tells Marketing Daily. "This was round one of hopefully many."

State Farm created a young adult strike team for the Midwest and is developing teams all over the country to execute similar strategies, Runge says.

Street teams hung T-shirts with funny messages such as "People steal the weirdest stuff." Once the T-shirt is stolen, a hanger sleeve is exposed that reads "save your stuff" with State Farm renter's insurance. The T-shirts were replaced daily.

"We 'borrowed' a lot of our friends' clothes in college," according to the agency's Facebook page. "That was the inspiration for this recent creative we developed for State Farm." When asked on the Facebook page what the agency would do if no one stole the T-shirt, it responded: "If no one takes the shirt, then we are quarantining the area and bringing in a team of social anthropologists to figure out what the hell is going on."

Another tactic featured street team members handing out insurance "samples" to event-goers. The insurance sample when opened revealed a dollar bill -- a "sample" of the $426 consumers would save to switch to State Farm car insurance.

A third tactic involved window clings that, from a distance, looked like a horrible windshield smash. With the static cling was a note tucked under the windshield wiper. The note was a message from the local State Farm agent assuring them everything was fine.

Archrival is an independent youth brand strategy and design firm that focuses on interactive and social media. The agency works directly with brands and larger agencies. Direct brand clients include Red Bull, State Farm, Pabst Brewing Company, A&E Network, Arbor Day, and many more. Agencies the firm has worked with include Crispin Porter, RPA, Genex, and BBDO.