
To
many American consumers, auto insurance is more necessity than luxury, with many opting for the cheapest rate of legal coverage. With a new outdoor and experiential effort, State Farm is looking to
better the image of car insurance, suggesting that selecting a better policy is like pampering your car.
In California--one of the Bloomington, Ill. company's largest markets--the company
has set up "car spas" in two locations. The spas are two car washes that for two weeks will be decorated with State Farm's signature red and white colors. State Farm's familiar logo
of interwoven circles has also been revamped, replacing the words "Auto," "Life" and "Fire" with "Peace," "Love" and "Drive."
The
interior of the car wash has been decorated with "thought bubbles" of affirmations (such as "My car's rear end is as covered as mine") from car owners. At these car washes,
owners can get cold drinks, a free massage--and of course, information about State Farm's policies.
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"The whole message is about assuring people they can relax and that their car is
covered," says David Oakley, creative director of BooneOakley, the advertising agency that created the effort. "State Farm gives you the coverage you need for that peace of mind."
In addition to the "car spas," the company has also employed guerilla techniques such as putting up a street installation of a four-door sedan in a giant bubble bath on
Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Billboards throughout multiple markets in the state (including Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego) depict "different examples of ways cars are pampered
by having the best car insurance," Oakley says. One billboard shows a car with acupuncture pins poking out of it. Other executions show cars doing yoga, getting aromatherapy treatments and
putting cucumber slices on their headlights.
The tagline for the campaign, which will run through November, is "Experience Peace of Drive."
The entire campaign is intended
to differentiate State Farm from the low-cost insurers who can undercut prices but may not have the same level of service as State Farm, Oakley says. "With car insurance, a lot of times you
don't think about it until you're in an accident," he says. "A lot of people try to find the cheapest rate, but they pay for it when they have an accident. By treating your car
better, you're treating yourself better."