The Unlikely Titan Of Advertising

The Martin Agency Is Behind Some Very Successful Ad Campaigns, Including GEICO

(CBS)  Laughing at a TV commercial for car insurance was once inconceivable, but now millions of Americans are doing just that thanks to a talking lizard, a group of disgruntled Neanderthal Cavemen, and fading celebrities such as Little Richard.

In his commercial, singer Little Richard sits next to a woman who hit a deer on Thanksgiving night.

"I called GEICO expecting a recording but someone was there to help me," she said on the commercial.

"Help me! Somebody help me!" Little Richard screamed next to her.

"GEICO got my claim in the works right away and I was able to enjoy my Thanksgiving," she said.

"Mashed potatoes! Gravy! And cranberry sauce! Whoooo, hoooo!" Little Richard wailed.

As Sunday Morning correspondent Martha Teichner explains, the three commercials for car insurance company GEICO have become a part of American pop culture.

These ads are not the product of a fancy Madison Avenue or Los Angeles ad agency, but are all the creation of the Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., which prides itself on being the anti-Madison Avenue agency. In fact, one company president used to have a sign on the door saying:" To hell with New York."

"People do not come to Richmond, Va. For the restaurants," said Mike Hughes, president and creative director of the Martin Agency. "We have to give advertisers a reason to come to Richmond, Va. and if it's not the creative, we're nothing."

Only about 380 people work at the Martin Agency, but the company is having a gigantic impact on advertising.

"We are doing things that are likeable and approachable," Hughes said.

Hughes said the agency came up with the idea of a talking gecko because through their research, they learned that people had trouble remembering the name GEICO, which stands for the Government Employees Insurance Corporation. The agency's creative people thought GEICO sounded like gecko and went from there. It has worked. GEICO's revenue is soaring.

"One of the art directors, I think, he said, 'You know what if we put a character like, I don't know, something like a gecko or something,'" said Steve Bassett who is in charge of the GEICO account

In 1999, the gecko made what was supposed to be his one and only television appearance, except that people liked him, and he sold insurance. Since then, he's evolved gone is his posh British accent, he's now a working class cockney.

We purposefully wanted to do more of sort of everyman," Bassett said. "We shortened, shortened his torso here and just the hint of shoulders that he could shrug, some eyelids here and things like that."

Women tend to like the gecko, whose message is all about name recognition while young men seem to prefer the caveman.

"The caveman started with a really simple creative brief GEICO.com is easy to use," he said.

[suiteo1]

I don't waste my time watching commercials! What is all this hoopla over a talking lizard, a group of disgruntled Neanderthal Cavemen, and fading celebrities about anyway? Are the majority of people that dim-witted and un-challenged anymore in this country that they need this kind of mindless entertainment?

[extremophil]

These commercials are "titan" and "extremely funny"?? It's a moronic lizard who talks like a three-year-old. And who can tell the difference between a caveman and Little Richard?

[hober_mallow]

Personally, the gecko lizard is wearing thin.

The GEICO 'celebrity ads' are all pretty dumb except for the 'movie trailer voice-over guy', which is fun for me to watch.

The cavemen ads are still funny. In fact, when I have to explain something that's pretty basic, I always suffix my explanation with 'it's so easy a caveman could do it'.

[chelluvsgod]

Come on! If we have to be subjected to thousands of commercials it is nice to laugh at some and find enjoyment in them. The cavemen commercials are GREAT! The gecko is getting a little too bizzarre for me, but I have to say, I think Geico has some of the best commercials out there right now.

[parkplace77]

The purpose of a commercial is for the public to remember the product, or service, for years by association with the commercial. I think the little green lizard is ADORABLE! I love his comments and his accent. I want him to show up in more scenes, maybe dressed in some fitting attire. Little Richard was hilarious, I could watch it over and over. He is over the top, and the commercial was FUN! Not a fan of the caveman, they're just always angry.

[jpalm1945]

the idea of celebs being used to translate the intent of what others are speaking is a waste of the premiums that I pay to geico. i mute and look away from that ***. it is amazing what marketers are being paid for the inane. as a stockholder i would be taking serious look at the VP for advertising

[moll0004]

I have never fall for any commercial at all, but let tell you something, these are commercial that will always be part of our pop-culture. honestly, they would never be forgotten. they are just unique....

[puppyfeet]

suiteo1 - you don't waste your time watching commercials?! But you don't mind wasting time blogging about a subject about which you claim to know nothing?! Interesting...but not much.

I think the Geico gecko commercials are beautiful to watch not only because of his funny little accent but for the incredible CGI work. It is per-FECT! And the Neanderthals have pitch-perfect attitude about the seeming bigotry aimed at them. LOVE these commercials and was happy to read which agency is responsible for them!

[rasabaka]

I love the gecko. He is just too *** cute. I guess what amazes me so is the way he moves his mouth and his little fingers. I just have to chuckle. Don't really think too much about the celebrities or the caveman though...

Suiteo1--lighten up

[olebd]

I like the commercials but I am always wary of companies that do this much advertising. Who pays for all of it? The consumer does.

I had them quote my insurance a couple times and found them to be almost twice as much as mu current insurer for the same coverage.

[cbs_oliver]

Martha Teichner's certainly got my attention in her broadcast story with her emphasis on Richmond as a "Southern" town, a previous capital of the Confederacy, and a city where Robert E. Lee's statue is on proud display. I could almost hear "the South will rise again" echoing in the background.

Well, rally round the flag boys, that sure turned me off Geico bigtime!

[jentexusa]

Hey, Yankee - the South is gonna rise again - and they'll be takin' over too.....but it isn't South United States, it will be South Mexico. Get used to is. And the gecko and cavemen, well, they are beyond neat. Only commercials I watch.

[bildooreilly]

They need to start by taking back 20 million of their illegal invaders and quit trying to make americans feel bad for not wanting to be their gravy train...

You freakin idiots can't even install adequate sewage systems down there and now you're going to take over the world..... freakin morons.

------------------
Hey, Yankee - the South is gonna rise again - and they'll be takin' over too.....but it isn't South United States, it will be South Mexico. Get used to is. And the gecko and cavemen, well, they are beyond neat. Only commercials I watch.
Posted by jentexusa at 05:00 PM : Feb 18, 2007
+ report this comment

[chieffan1949]

It takes a real *** to enjoy ANY of the Geico commercials. Who'd want to buy insurance from a company who's employee of the month is a stupid lizzard.
And what makes them think we want to see overpaid actors make even more money, while we pay more for insurance and commercials.
And cavemen....that's just plain stupid. Geico needs to hire a decent advertising firm, like Anheiser Busch.
And for the south rising, above or below the border, you ain't nothing but a bunch of criminals.

[thoomas]

How about some TRUTH in journalism CBS ?

While it may have been an off-Madison maverick at one time, Martin, since 1993!, has been owned by Interpublic Group, one of the largest ad agency holding companies in the world, and a cornerstone of the NYC ad establishment.

But then truth in advertising seldom makes for great Sunday morning TV.

[thoomas]

How about some TRUTH in journalism CBS ?

While it may have been an off-Madison maverick at one time, Martin, since 1993!, has been owned by Interpublic Group, one of the largest ad agency holding companies in the world, and a cornerstone of the NYC ad establishment.

But then truth in advertising seldom makes for great Sunday morning TV.

[thoomas]

How about some TRUTH in journalism CBS ?

While it may have been an off-Madison maverick at one time, Martin, since 1993!, has been owned by Interpublic Group, one of the largest ad agency holding companies in the world, and a cornerstone of the NYC ad establishment.

But then truth in advertising seldom makes for great Sunday morning TV.

[frebergfan]

Loved the info on Marketing - especially the Geico Ads! But You were Dead WRONG and a very important element of the segment! Stan Freberg (REMEMBER: "Today the Pits - Tomorrow the wrinkles" in the Sunsweet pitted prunes commercials & MANY other VERY GROUND BREAKING ADS that changed Marketing/Ads F O R E V E R!) Stan was/IS the FATHER of the adverse advertising concept! AND WAS THE VERY FIRST EVER AD MAN TO APPEAR IN COMMERCIALS HE CREATED - and he appeared in MANY! Hey, wouldn't you want to be given credit for your original and very venture-some, ground breaking & field changing work! So let's give the "Madison Avenue Werewolf" his credit that you totally overlooked in that segment! The additional component you thus left out is the "cyclical" pattern of marketing and thus the FREBERGIAN type ads are Back and As successful as when Stan birthed the trend -at the risk of his career! Martin is a great agency and I LOVE the Cave Man ads especially but fact is they are traveling a Advertising road Freberg paved!!!!!
Thanks, Deb - ie FrebergFan!