Radio Lady Discusses: The GEICO TV commercials -- using past dolls as icons!

[Radio_Lady]

Have you seen them? Do you like them? Do they help the company sell insurance?

Cabbage Patch Kid

Chatty Cathy, one of the original talking dolls...

etc.

[bigwillq]

1. The Cabbage Patch one

is kind of funny but I find most of their commercials annoying.

[Radio_Lady]

2. What other commercials have you seen?

They still run the Gecko with the English accent.

The Cavemen were retired when they went to a TV sitcom. Is that still on the air?

[bigwillq]

5. I think they still show the Cavemen ones

There have been many Geico ads, forgive me for forgetting specifically, oh wait...they do a Flintstones one.

[Radio_Lady]

19. Thanks, BigWillQ. I did see the Flintstones commercial!

Advertising is a fascinating business, at least it was when I worked in it. First jobs were with the agency for Revlon and also some other contract work at several agencies in Miami (McCann-Marschalk) and New York (Norman, Craig and Kummel), among others.

Earlier, I used to be the Radio Advertising Manager for LoJack Corporation back in the mid-1990s. There wasn't much humor allowed then, but we tried hard to get the most "bang for our buck."

I was part of their in-house advertising agency at the time. We had some good spots! I also helped develop the first copy for their initial website.

A few years later, they decided to go with a big Boston agency and my job was eliminated.

See what they've done since that time:

http://www.lojack.com

[Radio_Lady]

3. Has anyone here ever used their insurance company for coverage -- or even priced it out?

Anything to really recommend this company to you?

[madinmaryland]

6. I've had them for five years.

We had an accident (not our fault) a couple of years ago. No problem with the coverage. Rates have remained the same for the last three years.

[Yavin4]

4. When I See Geico Ads, Here's What I Think of...

This company sure does buy a lot of fucking TV ads. I wonder how much lower rates would be if they bought 1/3 less ads.

[Radio_Lady]

7. Great point, Yavin4. I usually think about that when I see BIG PHARMA ads.

Thanks for your comments.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

8. There's this one witha cave man in an airport and the song gets stuck in my

head.

I had them for coverage a few years back. It's all the same IMO.

[Radio_Lady]

12. My husband decided on Traveler's Insurance after being with Metropolitan for 30 years.

The differences can show up when you make a claim.

We only considered those companies which do both homeowners' and car owners' insurance.

He didn't check Geico for that reason.

Thanks for your comments.

Radio Lady Ellen in Oregon

[mikeytherat]

22. That tune is "Remind Me" by Royksopp

It's a great little song.

mikey_the_rat

[RebelOne]

23. You mean this song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15uo9qGlKKQ

[Left Is Write]

9. I like the Flintstones True Hollywood Story spoof.

"Their friendship with the Rubbles would soon become strained..."

[Radio_Lady]

13. Yes, that one is funny.

But does it sell insurance?

I'd love to have access to their sales figures. I assume they are up. Is that a publicly traded company?

[Left Is Write]

18. I have no idea if it sells insurance - all it really has to do is keep the name GEICO

in the forefront of consumers' minds; that's what will sell insurance.

I don't know what their sales figures are, though.

[pinniped]

10. They think their funny with that crap but they're totally stupid.

They show up every 5 minutes. F-them.

[Dukkha]

11. they're trying to be Robot Chicken

and failing at it

[Radio_Lady]

14. I haven't seen Robot Chicken, but thanks for your opinion.

[Dukkha]

16. Robot Chicken is a show on Adult Swim

http://www.adultswim.com/shows/robotchicken/

a 15 minute show of sketches utilizing action figures and famous children toys from the 70's & 80's acting in more adult situations. They've done several "Where are they now" style sketches.

[Radio_Lady]

17. Yes, I looked it up. Thanks again.

I don't have much time for TV anymore.

[Radio_Lady]

15. Does anyone happen to know what advertising agency is handling the Geico account?

It would be interesting to speak to their creative director as a guest on a radio show.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. They've got you talking about Geico.

So are they working? Yes.

[Radio_Lady]

21. I'd have to agree with the "talking" part. But I think they want more than talk...

they want sales that back up the talk.

That's the interesting part.

Thanks for your comments.

[quiet.american]

24. I'm just glad they're off the Caveman thing. I like all the new ones.

One thing I can say about Geico -- they keep coming up with fresh approaches.

Every time I see one of their new approaches for the first time, I'm wondering --"what is this" -- and it turns out to be Geico -- that was my reaction when I saw the Cabbage Patch "expose" the first time -- and they do such a good takeoff on the "investigative reports" format.