The Silver Anvil, which recognizes outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation, was presented during the Silver Anvil Awards Evening held June 5 in New York City.

Safeco received the 2008 Silver Anvil Award for its Teensurance campaign in the Marketing Consumer Services-Technology category.

Teensurance offers a comprehensive set of online tools to encourage safe driving, including a GPS-based device - the Safety Beacon - that can notify parents when a driver exceeds a pre-set speed limit or travels outside predetermined boundaries.

Teensurance allows parents to have positive dialogue with teens about the responsibilities that come with a driver's license.

"This is a great honor for Safeco," said David M. Monfried, Safeco's senior vice president of Corporate Communications.

"Safeco's research and development group, Open Seas, developed Teensurance to help parents and teens manage one of life's most challenging times. We're pleased that our effort in spreading the word has helped change the way families talk about being safe behind the wheel."

Safeco enlisted the help of the public relations agency Porter Novelli to help develop the Teensurance communications plan.

"The finalists in this year's Silver Anvil Awards represent some of the most strategic, creative and finest public relations campaigns in our industry," said Joice Truban Curry, 2008 PRSA Silver Anvil Committee chair and President/CEO, c3 Communications.

"The Silver Anvils are the Oscars of the public relations profession and these finalists exemplify the best practices in the country."

Related Links
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
SAFECO
GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers