Farmers Airship to Remain on FarmVille

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies® announces today it is extending its industry-leading partnership with Zynga, the maker of FarmVille, the most popular game on Facebook with over 60 million monthly players.

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For a ten-day period beginning October 18, 2010, Farmers began offering FarmVille players a likeness of its Farmers Insurance Airship, a 246-foot-long Zeppelin.  When players placed the Farmers Airship on their virtual farm, they received free "wither protection" for their crops.

"This promotion has been wildly successful," said Marc Zeitlin, Vice President of eBusiness for Farmers Insurance Group.  "Millions of FarmVille players have placed the Farmers Airship over their farms, benefiting from Farmers protecting their virtual assets just as it offers protection for their real-life assets."  

In response to this unprecedented demand, Farmers has secured a permanent place for the Airship for everyone who downloaded it during the 10-day event. While "wither protection" is no longer included, it certainly could return down the road.

This is the first time an insurance company has been featured within internet Social Gaming.

"The real Farmers Airship is a head-turner, and we're excited that so many FarmVille players share our enthusiasm for it," said Kevin Kelso, Chief Marketing Officer for Farmers Insurance Group.  "It was really planned as a 10-day event, but after so many people added it to their farms, we hated to disappoint them by having it fly away -- so we're keeping it out there."

Farmers recently announced that FarmVille followers will have a chance to experience part of their virtual life in real life, by entering a sweepstakes for a ride on the Farmers Airship.  

During a sweepstakes running from October 1, 2010 to November 15, 2010 on Farmers' Facebook page, fans can win a ride for themselves and a companion on the world's largest airship. To enter, log onto facebook.com/farmersinsurance.

About the Farmers Airship

Stretching 15-feet longer than a 747 and 50-feet longer than the largest blimp, the Farmers Airship, the Zeppelin Eureka, is the world's largest airship. Owned and operated by Airship Ventures, Inc., the airship is one of only two Zeppelins commercially flying in the world today and features the largest logo ever used in Farmers' history. Larger than most homes, the decal is comprised of 697 sheets of vinyl totaling almost 4,850 square feet and measuring approximately 185-feet long by 30-feet high on either side of the Zeppelin. Farmers iconic blue and red shield measures 30-feet high by 50-feet wide, while the 17-foot tall letters spelling out the company name stretch over 105-feet. When not flying in support of Farmers events in communities around the country, the Farmers Airship is based in California and offers passenger flight-seeing tours above San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles. www.FarmersAirship.com

About Farmers Insurance Group Inc.

Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group.  The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit our website at www.farmers.com or www.Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance .

SOURCE Farmers Insurance Group of Companies