Hit Song Gives Allstate Message Added Dimension, Exposure

OLDWICK, N.J., Jan 10, 2008 (A. M. Best via COMTEX) -- ALL | news | PowerRating | PR Charts -- Allstate had a message and a television commercial to convey it, but it wasn't until the company linked up with one of today's most popular musicians that the ad -- and the purpose of it -- gained the kind of momentum that continues the spread the word months after it first aired.

Inspired by his own experiences, Jason Wade, lead singer of Lifehouse, surprised Allstate (NYSE:ALL) with a song he wrote especially for its emotional "Tail Lights" ad promoting Allstate's teen safe driving program.

Since it was synchronized with a 60-second version of the commercial and debuted in late October, the song, along with the ad, has received hundreds of thousands of additional hits on the video-sharing Web site, YouTube.

Wade's song, "From Where You Are," written in tribute to a friend who died in a car accident as a teen, plays throughout the spot, which shows teens in vehicles driving down a long road at dusk. Toward the end a voice over says "every year nearly 6,000 teenagers go out for a drive...and never come back."

The ad encourages teens and parents to visit the company's Web site and print out a contract meant to start the conversation on safe driving.

Lisa Cochrane, vice president of integrated marketing communications, said teen driving safety has always been a part of the heritage of Allstate and the television ad, as well as on-line and print ads, were originally created to target parents beginning last June.

"The teenage audience is a crucial audience to us," she said. "No other hazard (than vehicle accidents) claims more teen lives. This was a natural place for us to address it."

In its desire to expand the campaign, Allstate sought the help of the music industry and "shipped copies to a couple well-known songwriters," Cochrane explained. Without responding that he'd take part, Wade wrote the song and shipped it back to Allstate.

"We were just wowed," Cochrane said. "We played it against the video; it was just so powerful."

On Lifehouse's Web site, Wade said he knew right away he wanted to be a part of the ad and wrote the song before speaking with Allstate "because I feel so strongly about this cause."

Shortly after the commercial's debut following a "Friday Night Lights" episode on NBC on Oct. 26, Allstate negotiated with Lifehouse's record label to release the song via iTunes, Cochrane said. Downloads of the song sold so quickly it went as high as No. 40 on the Billboard charts.

For Allstate, the company saw a "huge increase" in visits to its Web site, www.allstate.com/teen, where videos of the ad and of Wade in the studio can be seen. More importantly, more than 10,000 additional Parent-Teen Driving Contracts were printed following the release of the commercial.

Cochrane said the experience with this ad and Wade has re-emphasized the importance of coming at an issue from different angles in order to gain the most exposure, and then tying it in to Allstate products, such as its YourChoice Auto, which awards a bonus check to drivers with six months of safe driving.

"Earned media, public relations and viral marketing are always considered when strategizing a campaign, particularly when you want to reach teens in a relevant way," Cochrane said. 'We hit the jackpot on this one but it's something you always want to consider."

To hear the audio interview with Cochrane in its entirety, go to www.bestdayaudio.com.

(By Chad Hemenway, associate editor, BestWeek: Chad.Hemenway@ambest.com)

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