Progressive® Insurance goes into 'Beast Mode' for the biggest game of the year

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — January 27, 2015 — What will—or won't—running back Marshawn Lynch say to reporters leading up to the big game? It's a question that's been asked across the sports world for months. Football's most enigmatic player has been tight-lipped as of late, but Lynch had plenty to say in an 80-second interview that went live before Tuesday's Media Day event.

The tongue-in-cheek digital video, which was also made into a 30-second version for TV, has fun with Lynch's propensity to be less-than-talkative. The content features Lynch being interviewed with another man who marches to the beat of his own drummer, sports personality Kenny Mayne. Mayne's deadpan yet funny delivery brings out the best in Lynch, in a lightly-branded video that resembles a classic Kenny Mayne interview.

"Marshawn Lynch just offers a lot for us to like," said Progressive Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Charney, "and that made him a natural to work with. Like us, he 'zigs where others zag,' on and off the field. One thing people might not know about him is that he's heavily involved in the community—in fact he's giving a portion of what he made filming with us to charity. He's also a fan of Flo, which comes across in his interview with Kenny."

Aligning with Lynch's community involvement, Progressive will auction off a pair of cleats signed by Marshawn, with 100% of the proceeds going to his charity the Fam 1st Family Foundation. The auction will go live on Thursday, January 29 and close on Sunday, February 1. To view the auction, visit http://givingworks.ebay.com/progressive/?rm1vSB=true.

"Some brands choose to spend their money on a big expensive ad at this time of year, and that's okay, but it's not us," continued Charney. "Instead we decided to use our dollars to raise money for a good cause, one that aligns with Marshawn and gets him talking."

When asked about working with Progressive, Lynch replied, "Yeah."

To view Kenny Mayne's interview with Marshawn Lynch, produced by Kenny Mayne Advertising, visit http://youtu.be/sY36BmRFf_I.

About Progressive
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies makes it easy to understand, buy and use auto insurance. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach it whenever, wherever and however it's most convenient—online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, on a mobile device or in-person with a local agent.

Progressive also offers insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, as well as home insurance through select carriers. It's the fourth largest auto insurer in the country, the largest seller of motorcycle insurance and a leader in commercial auto insurance. Progressive also offers car insurance online in Australia at http://www.progressiveonline.com.au.

Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, Snapshot®, and Service Centers.

The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE:PGR.