Driver Feedback App From State Farm

State Farm introduces a questionable, driver feedback app with a cute commercial.

Commercial

Commercial starts with teen walking out of the house to his car with cellphone in hand. At the car, his dad has attached a number of homemade contraptions to track the teens driving behavior.

Teen: Dad, whatcha doing?

Dad: Come here. Ya gotta see this. (Pointing to a satellite dish) This will tell me where you are and how fast you’re going. And this, when the ball hits the sensor tells me how fast you turned. Oh! And you remember the old video camera.

Teen: Dad. You know that this (pointing to cellphone) can do all of that (pointing to inventions), right?

Commercial goes to a computer graphic of the different screens for the app.

Announcer: The driver feedback app, start it, stop it, see how you did, see where you went. Get tips for driving, and even better – it’s free. Download the driver feedback app now!

Commercial goes back to dad in front of the car.

Dad: But can it do this?

Dad locks the car and it plays a tune. Teen folds hands behind his head in exasperation.

Point of Commercial

State Farm is introducing a new app for teen drivers. While they are targeting parents of teen drivers, it feels like an extension of the campaign aimed at trying to appeal to the younger generation of drivers, also (see Buffalo Jingle commercial).

What They Want You to Do

They aren’t asking for your business, they just want you to use their app. Read the fine print before you download it though.

My Opinion

Don’t get me wrong, I really like this commercial. It’s funny, it’s memorable, and the commercial hits its target of parents of driving, or soon to be driving, teens perfectly. What I don’t like is the app itself.

As a parent of a teen, there is a problem and the impending excuse that comes to mind immediately. The problem is that the teen is responsible for turning on the app via their cellphone for you to be able to track them. How many teens out there want their parents tracking their driving, let alone voluntarily subjecting themselves to it?

As I asked myself this question and tried to find the solution of making them turn it on, the excuse of “ I forgot” immediately came to mind for each time you ask as to why they didn’t turn it on. Sorry, but thinking that this app isn’t going to be as helpful as the tracking devices that are attached to the car like the ones from GEICO and SAFECO.

But since we are here to talk about the commercial and not the app, let me return to our beaten path with a rating. The funny, on target, State Farm driver feedback app commercial, gets two thumbs up from me.