New State Farm Commercial Puts Focus on Parents and Teen Drivers

BLOOMINGTON, IL--Oct. 6, 2011: State Farm is unveiling a new commercial this week designed to put a powerful spotlight on teen drivers and their parents. The commercial spans the life of a young girl from toddler to teen driver. Country western recording artist Kenny Chesney's hit "There Goes My Life" serves as the backdrop for the piece.

State Farm is debuting the commercial leading up to the fifth annual National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 16 -- 22, 2011. The week is dedicated to raising awareness about the tragedy of teen vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S., and is meant to spark communication among teenagers, parents, educators and civic leaders about the causes of and solutions to teen crashes. State Farm has invested more than $20 million dollars in research into teen driver safety with partners like The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as well as other local safety and law enforcement groups.

At the end of the commercial, there is a callout for statefarm.comŪ where parents and teens can access helpful resources, such as the State Farm Steer ClearŪ Safe Driver Discount Program, giving families peace of mind during this "state of transition."

"Teen car crashes affect all who share our roads," said Laurette Stiles, Vice President -- Strategic Resources at State Farm. "During National Teen Driver Safety Week and year-round we invite everyone to join the national conversation aimed at preventing unnecessary injuries and loss of life."

Research has shown that families need extra support to guide their teens safely through the first years of driving. This new commercial is intended to remind parents there are tools such as Steer Clear available to help their teen learn safer driving habits.

The principles followed in the Steer Clear program align with those of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws. These laws have proven to be effective at reducing teen car crashes in part by lengthening the time in which teens must drive while supervised and requiring practice in diverse driving conditions.

The Steer Clear Program is available online and from a State Farm agent, and the Steer Clear mobile app is available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android..

State Farm worked with the advertising agency DDB Chicago to develop the commercial spot, which begins a full rotation schedule this week. It can be viewed on YouTube at YouTube.

About State FarmŪ:

State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts -- more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies.