Foremost Insurance Group | Tunkle Tales Social Media Campaign Takes Fictional Couple Across the Nation

A live blog story driven by the Tunkles adventures, and misadventures, across America.

Grand Rapids, MI – Elmer and Elsie Tunkle, a fictional couple who first appeared in promotional campaigns for Foremost Insurance Company’s Recreational Vehicle insurance over 30 years ago, have taken to the road again for Foremost^®in a social media campaign designed to track them as they travel across the nation. The campaign is built so Tunkle followers can have input into the places they’ll visit, the things they do and interact with their life on the road. .

The Tunkles, now retired, are posting the stories of their adventures – and misadventures – in their new motor home on their blog at www.tunkletales.com, on Facebook fan pages – one for Elmer Tunkle and one for Elsie Tunkle – and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tunkles.

“Tunkle Tales is the unvarnished version of what happens when you take people out of an office and turn them loose on the open road,” says the voice of Elmer. “It is what it is, and let the chips fall. All I know is I get to travel, play golf and do some fishing. I’m known more as a bull in a china shop kind of guy and prone to not look at the directions. I’ll certainly endure a variety of embarrassing moments now and then but it’ll still be worth it. Perhaps Elsie’s sing along with the radio might push my buttons though.”

In their first cross country adventure in the late 1970s, Elmer and Elsie Tunkle became well known to the Foremost claims staff for their constant misadventures while behind the wheel of their recreational vehicle. During a second trip in the mid-1990s, they proved themselves to be equally accident-prone. Their experiences have been testimonials to the patience of Foremost’s claim adjusters and to the broad coverages offered by Foremost. So far during this trip, their misadventures have been more embarrassment and non-insurance related…so far. Repairs have been easily made with duct tape to Elmer’s old jeans during an adventurous toboggan ride at the Muskegon, Michigan Winter Sports Complex. Embarrassment? Elmer and Elsie are a couple…and couples don’t always see the same way to do things. The question is what lies ahead? How will they work it out?

“We’ve been having a really exciting journey already and we just barely ventured out of Michigan. I’m anxious to get traveling and see all those places we never had time to visit while we were working,” says the voice Elsie Tunkle. “Because we’ve never taken this long of a road trip before, we’d love to have everyone’s advice on where to go. You know – those little local places the average tourist wouldn’t find. Also, I’d like everyone who reads this to go out and “fan” my Facebook page. With this social media available now, our staying in touch with everyone is so much easier. I have a little bet going with Elmer that I can get more fans than he does. If I win, I get to pick our next destination and he has to go shopping with me – of course with help from all of you.”

The Tunkles are now just leaving their home state of Michigan with a goal of visiting the United States from coast to coast and from the top to the bottom before returning home. Along the way they hope to find lots of the following:

motorcycle rallies
antique shops
civil war battlefields
diners (yes, they love to eat at diners)
great fishing spots
historic landmarks
fairs and festivals
wineries
natural wonders
unusual places and stuff

Elmer Tunkle, a former insurance agent, invites his fellow agents to follow his and Elsie’s adventures. “Fan Elmer though,” says the voice of Elmer. “Help me win a bet with Elsie.” Despite his experience in insurance, he’s finding his exposure to Foremost’s RV insurance and all the various Foremost offers to be enlightening over the course of this adventure. Log in to Tunkle Tales and experience the adventure with Elmer and Elsie.

Foremost Insurance hopes you will travel safely and get the most out of your RV experiences, whether it’s a trip to a nearby state park or a trip across the country. Whether it’s a college game tailgate or a full-time lifestyle. For more information about Foremost insurance programs, visit Foremost.com.

To learn more about our products or share your feedback, visit www.Foremost.com, our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ForemostInsurance or our Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/Foremost.