GEICO Shifts Ad Focus From Savings To Service

by Karl Greenberg, Jun 19, 2009, 5:00 AM

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There's neither a talking gecko or cavemen to be found in a new campaign from auto insurance company GEICO.

The effort also offers a different message. Instead of focusing on savings, the new campaign touts GEICO service. And instead of reptiles, it has talking trees, car bumpers and other inanimate objects to elaborate the message that the company has a 97% positive satisfaction rating among customers.

With the tag line "Accidents are Bad, but GEICO's Good," the ads talk about claim service with scenarios that mimic the insurer's four most frequently reported claims, the more common accidents.

The first two spots in the campaign deal with the torment one feels around having an accident that could have been avoided by assigning human characteristics to the accidents, one involving an errant tree limb and another a fender bender.

In the first spot, we see a minivan parked under a tree, and hear a chainsaw. A limb plummets, smashing the car's windshield. Says the limb to the car's owner, who represents the camera's POV: "Dude, that was sick! I been hangin' up there for like, 40 years, and then wham! Here I am, smacking the pretty off that windshield of yours. Oh, what, you're looking for an apology? Toss another coin in that wishing well of yours, pal." Voiceover says: "Accidents are bad, but GEICO is good, with onsite window replacement." The ad finishes with visual showing the window being swapped out in seconds.

The other spot, touting GEICO's 24-hour claims service, has a livery car slamming into the back of an SUV. The car's smashed grill speaks: "Geez n' crackers, what just happened! Wow, that looks great! No need to discuss it further! Just give it a once-over with a wet towel!" The SUV's bumper falls off. "Great, good talking to you." Like the first, the ad shows the bumper being replaced in high speed.

Kevin Thoem, senior art director at The Martin Agency, says the work is meant to complement, not replace, GEICO's several other campaigns. Nor does the tag line replace GEICO's overall tag, "15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." "We have had them as a client for 15 years now and have developed multiple story lines," he says. The cavemen are part of the campaign about GEICO.com's ease of use; the "kash" character touts consumer savings with GEICO. "This time was the first we have shown accidents and how quickly GEICO can get repairs done," Thoem says.

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