State Farm Discontinues Advertisement

The following email was sent to those who expressed a concern about a recent State Farm television ad highlighting a man who, because of high gasoline prices, decided to ride his bicycle to work.  State Farm's 'pitch' in the ad was to offer some relief by encouraging viewers to contact a State Farm agent for an auto insurance quote for possible savings

State Farm discontinued the ad.

Thank you for your letter regarding our advertisement that features a cyclist riding his bike to work. We have read your concerns and those of others with similar concerns. We take very seriously each letter, email, and blog comment we receive.

I discussed the perception of this ad with others at State Farm, and we decided the right thing to do would be to discontinue it. We will remove this ad as quickly as possible from the current rotation schedule.

We are sorry the advertisement offended anyone. Our intention with this particular ad was to recognize and empathize with the everyday challenge of high gas prices, and suggest that State Farm could help by providing lower auto insurance rates than a person may be receiving from their current provider. But, clearly we have heard your concerns.

This change is being communicated directly to those who have corresponded with us, but I also ask that you pass this message along to others whom you know have a similar concern about this ad.

Please know that State Farm is very concerned about doing what we can to improve the health, safety, and environment in our communities. For example, in numerous states, employees can earn up to $1.50 a day by ridesharing, walking, or riding a bike to work. We also have more than 1,200 employees participating in van pooling throughout the country.

State Farm has also been a supporter of bicycle safety through the thousands of bicycle rodeos we've held for children throughout the US and Canada. We remain open to discussion about how State Farm might partner with the bicycling community in the future.

We value direct consumer input as we make decisions about our advertising messages and safety programs. As a mutual company with no stockholders, we work hard to be good stewards of our policyholders' money.

If you'd like more information about State Farm, go to statefarm.com or talk to a local State Farm agent.

Thank you,