Aired: N/A
Channel: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, ESPN, TBS, TNT & more
Appeal: Humor
Mascots. Who needs them? I mean, who wants some teenage guy full of acne working up a sweat inside a giant furry head? But mascots seem to be a permanent part of our society. From birth we grow up used to them. At our first few birthday parties Barney and Mickey Mouse always seem to show up. We hug them. We kiss them. We high-five them. But then something changes.
My favorite is that three to four year stretch when little boys think its fun to attack the mascot. Chuck E Cheese was the best punching bag. This oversized, mutated mouse practically knows its coming. After his first day he wises up and actually invests in shin guards and a cup (that is all these 7-10 year olds can reach anyway). He comes out of the backroom slowly looking to his left and right as if he were about to break out of mice prison. But then once one kid spots him it turns into scene from Braveheart. Chuck E Cheese traumatized me as a child. One second my tiny fists of fury were raining blows upon his upper thigh, the next I’m on my ass. All I could think was, “Is he allowed to do that?” And then ten minutes later all I could think was, “Why the hell are these slices of pizza so small?” But that’s for another day…
But mascots aren’t just for children apparently because it continues on the college and professional sports levels too! I feel bad for any priest who is a hockey fan and has the New Jersey Devil parading up and down the aisle next to him. Or how about the teams that completely force the mascot issue? The Phoenix Suns are a perfect example of this. What the hell does a gorilla have to do with the suns? Or the Phillie Phanatic? Come on, he’s just an obese Oscar the Grouch sporting Phillies memorabilia.
Mascots have become a big part of advertising and a way to appeal better to a company’s target audience. Trix has the rabbit, Burger King has The King and Toys “R” Us has Geoffrey the Giraffe. Companies are always trying to figure out ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The easiest and most effective ways to do this is through easily recognizable logos or mascots. None could be more true than for GEICO.
If you have never heard of GEICO I strongly suggest you move into the 21st century and purchase a television. GEICO is an American auto insurance company and easily has the most identifiable commercials on TV. The most famous tagline used in all GEICO commercials is, “Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.” That phrase is permanently embroidered into my memory. GEICO does the best job at reminder advertising and "hitting” the viewer over and over with the same message. That is why GEICO is one of the few companies that continuously purchases two fifteen second commercial timeslots back-to-back rather than one thirty second spot. The viewer barely realizes it's only fifteen seconds and before they know it, the next ad starts; different ad with the exact same message. Because GEICO auto insurance appeals to anyone who owns a car and likes to save money, their commercials aren't restricted to which channels they could advertise on. I've noticed them on every main network channel (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC) and also many other popular stations such as ESPN, TBS, and TNT. GEICO’s commercials always star one of their several mascots they have introduced to us.
So the question is… which GEICO mascot is the best? This calls for an old fashioned “Mascot Olympics.” That’s right, the GEICO Gecko going toe to toe with the likes of the Caveman and stack of Money.
So these are the rules. First I will post a commercial starring each of the mascots and then write a little something about it. The next part is up to you. You all have the chance to vote on which GEICO mascot is your favorite! Your votes will decide which mascot goes home with the gold medal!
Gecko
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I love this little guy. He is actually named Martin the Gecko because he was created by The Martin Agency- an American advertising agency based in Richmond, Virginia. The gecko speaks with an English accent and the voice is that of Paul Morgan- a British actor and comedian. The gecko first appeared in GEICO commercials in 1999 during the Screen Actors Guild Strike, which prevented the use of live actors. In the original commercial, the gecko begs people to stop calling him, mistaking gecko for GEICO. I like Martin the Gecko the best not just for his witty lines and engaging accent… but his voice is so recognizable that it makes for great radio advertisements as well.
Cavemen
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The GEICO Cavemen commercials first started back in 2004 and have been well received by the public. The Cavemen campaign was created by Joe Lawson from The Martin Agency. The premise of these commercials is that GEICO’s website is, “So easy, a caveman could do it.” This slogan continues to insult cavemen who are not only still in existence but are intelligent and live in modern society. ABC even rolled the dice with an attempted spin off idea for a sitcom. It premiered on October 2, 2007 but shortly after was cancelled due to extremely low ratings. Don’t let the failed sitcom taint your opinion on these ads because the GEICO Cavemen are still some of the most popular commercials on television today.
Kash
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GEICO began airing this series of commercials in 2008 embroidering yet another catchy slogan into our minds. This time it was, “The money you could be saving with GEICO.” GEICO’s newest mascot is quite simply a stack of banded U.S. bills with a pair of Googly eyes on top named Kash. Clever wording, changing the “C” in cash to a “K.” I wonder what brain surgeon came up with that one? Never the less, the concept is funny with someone always noticing this character sitting and staring at them but his name is never revealed in the actual ads. Kash just sits there and then his theme song, which is a remix by Mysto & Pizzi of the 1980s hit “Somebody’s Watching Me,” begins to play in the background. Every commercial Kash has ever appeared in, this song follows which is a great marketing technique because not only is it free advertising when the song plays on the radio but the five second jingle to end each commercial is memorable. Also, unlike the Cavemen, it’s easier to advertise on the radio because even though Kash never speaks, people can identify the commercial as GEICO once his theme begins to play.
Animated Characters
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I have only seen one of these commercials on TV so far and it was the GEICO pothole. I have to say I was not all that impressed. These ads first began in 2009 and after doing some research I found these other two commercials. After ten solid years of strong advertising I hope the creative team at GEICO ditches the talking tree branch, car bumper and pothole and creates yet another classic mascot.
So now it’s up to you! Either vote on the poll to the right of the blog or just vote by commenting on this post. And the winner is….
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