Why is the Geico Gecko British?

[Writer]

:shrug:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. All geckos

speak with a British accent.

No one knows why because most of them won't answer questions.

[bridgit]

7. heh-heh, good one!

:thumbsup:

[kentauros]

2. Because Americans like accents other than American.

They're "exotic".

[Richard Steele]

4. Bingo. Question answered, thread over. nm

[TZ]

3. I think he's Australian actually

because there are lots of Geckos in Australia

[mwooldri]

13. The guy Jake Wood is the current Gecko voice.

'Es English.

mark.

[Robeson]

5. Because a British accent gives one instant credibility....

...whether it is deserved, or not.

[bridgit]

9. Ding! Most correct! It's a focused group Ad thing like angels riding tires or nuns selling dish soap

or whatever. A British accent is perceived, especially by many Americans, as having a higher IQ, the accent! The *accent* has a higher IQ!? :wtf: Which fails, however, utterly and quite miserably; to explain such happenstance as: The Spice Girls, but there it is and it's grease-orbant too!

[Robeson]

10. You know. You know I know. I know you know.....

...we both know we both know. We are knowing people...;)

[Career Prole]

17. I have to admit it's the perception I have.

I listened to BBC World Service. Then I listened to the news here in Texas.
Then I listened to BBC World Service again. Then I listened to the news in Texas again.
Then I noticed that what the guys with the British accents were saying seemed to mesh much more tightly with what I'd been observing every day.
Next thing I knew, I was insured by Geico.
:shrug:

[bridgit]

18. hahahaha, that's funny!

:spray:

[Bake]

32. If the Brits are so smart, why didn't they push their way onto the Titanic lifeboats?

Nooooo, they were being polite, waiting in line.

Bake

[bridgit]

34. Right'O Gov'nah!

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. OMG.

[Phillycat]

27. But it's a cockney East London accent.

They're like the poor white trash of London. I mean stereotypically, not in reality.

If they wanted to give credibility, why wouldn't they use a posh public school accent?

[mcctatas]

6. Because the Gecko that plays him can only do a British accent

[sohndrsmith]

20. thank you for the best answer in this thread... : ) n/t

[XemaSab]

8. He's a sleazy little cockney lizard?

:shrug:

[mwooldri]

14. Considering who the actor plays on EastEnders, I say you're right.

Max Branning - a bit of a thug.

[Danger Mouse]

11. All bad guys have brit accents.

[crimsonblue]

12. why are you american?

:shrug:

[busybl]

15. sounds Australian to me

[Sanity Claws]

26. I thought so too

It's too cold in England for Geckos.

[Skittles]

19. because he is a Limey bastid

[Guava Jelly]

21. Why are all Bee's Hispanic?

damn Racist if you ask me.:D Does Mr. W. have any Bee's in his family?

[Bucky]

31. You mean like Jerry Seinfeld?

Why are all cartoon animals male except for that one female character per movie?

[ashling]

22. Why not?

What I want to know is how did Atilla the Hun in the miniseries on History Channel get a British Accent?

[whistler162]

23. Cheaper to hire a H1-B Gecko than a good old American Gecko...

DANG that Warren Buffet!

Obama is against American Gecko's working!

IMPEACH!!

[Darth_Kitten]

24. Maybe he's an ex-pat.

Just trying to fit in, and pay the bills. You got a problem with that sweet little Gecko? Well? :shrug: ;)

[old mark]

25. All Geckos are British, but not all British are Geckos....nt

[LynneSin]

28. He use to be Australian when he first came out

then a few years ago his accent changed

[mockmonkey]

35. I never understood why

they changed the accent from Australian to Cockney. Yes, I'm a deep thinker.

[Bucky]

29. Evolution. (& its' not just British, but working class from the Estuary region)

I assume it's an evolutionary defense mechanism. Cats like to eat geckos, but are disinclined to eat animals that can talk like people. It was only a matter of time before some geckoes evolved the ability to mimick human speech, as this would provide them with a distinct evolutionary advantage in surviving in the wild.

[WI_DEM]

30. I always thought it was Australian.

[Left Is Write]

33. To grab our attention. I actually prefer the original actor's voice.

I don't know who did the first gecko commercials, but I liked that voice and that concept better (gecko wrapped in a towel, his shower obviously interrupted by a wrong number, "No, I CAHN'T save you money on car insurance! You want GEICO, not gecko!").