There are so many Geico commercials airing it’s almost too much, even for me. I must be square in the center of their target demographic because I see their commercials most every time I watch television. These days, I mostly tune in sporting events (I’m watching Dallas Stars hockey and the Gecko “technical difficulties disco ball” commercial is airing as I type this) and Geico is ubiquitous as an advertiser. What’s striking is I notice their logo at many sports venues while watching a game. Talk about branding.
Geico always seems to have three distinct campaigns airing simultaneously with several installments running in each. For the longest time, they had the Caveman series. Many good advertisements comprised that effort. Googly-eyes didn’t enjoy a long life, but somehow, the creative folks from The Martin Agency developed quite a few superb TV ads. The Gecko and his boss, the stately company spokesperson, have been teaming on Geico commercials for a nice stretch. Seems like it been about two years, I’d estimate. New installments keep appearing and all are very fresh. The Mistaken Identity commercial is hilarious:
Woman: “You! Oh, don’t act like you don’t recognize me. Toledo? '03?”
Gecko: No…it’s, uh…
Woman: “It’s too late, Stanley.”
Gecko: “Actually, miss, my, my name’s not Stanley.”
Woman: “Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry. From behind you look just like him. I’m just….”
Gecko: “I’d hate to be Stanley.”
No kidding.
The third series features actor Mike McGlone delivering his best Robert Stack impression, asking, “Can Geico really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?” Here are two of my faves from this series:
Can woodchucks really chuck wood? Apparently. The commercial delivers a rather clever twist on the rhetorical question, but it’s the woodchuck’s laugh that makes the commercial a winner. It just tickles your funny bone. So does the line “Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!”
You either love or hate Piggy. Crying “Wee! Wee-wee-wee!” incessantly all the way home can grate on one’s nerves. Just look at Mrs. A. Clearly, she’s frazzled when Maxwell finally exits the vehicle. Many viewers probably respond the same way. To them, this commercial couldn’t end soon enough.
The pinwheels are priceless. Do you think we could get them from Geico for 15 percent off?
Why three advertising campaigns airing at the same time? Because each delivers on their powerful brand message: “Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance” in a clean and memorable fashion. The Mike McGlone as Robert Stack commercials ask if the fifteen percent savings claim is true, and answer the question with a rhetorical question that is answered in a video snippet (Yes, Abe Lincoln was honest). The Gecko commercials reinforce the savings message, but from a completely different creative angle. The Gecko and his boss talk about the various insurance products Geico offers for boats, RVs and motorcycles and the kinds of discounts customers can receive. Googly-eyes cleverly showed prospects the stack of money they could save with Geico, and boy was that stack of money appealing. The Caveman commercials conveyed how easy it is to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance from Geico; “So simple, even a caveman…” you know how it finishes.
The brilliance in Geico’s strategy is that they don’t try to give you ten, five or even three compelling reasons to buy their insurance products. Rather, they drive home one simple and memorable selling point everyone can understand and they do it better than most anyone else.
Which is your favorite Geico commercial? Check out their YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/user/GEICO and cast your vote here in my Comment section.
del.icio.us Tags:
advertising,
TV commercial,
television advertising,
Geico,
The Martin Agency,
Gecko,
Mistaken Identity,
Stanley,
Woodchucks,
Piggy,
Maxwell,
Mrs. A.,
Mike McGlone,
Robert Stack
