The Unlikely Titan Of Advertising

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

(CBS) 
The loony celebrity testimonials about service were aimed at an older audience. It's almost unheard of for an agency to run three different sets of ads simultaneously.

"I think, I think if you did just one campaign, one story line, one sort of joke set-up, it would get old pretty quickly," Bassett said.

But the ads that are out there seem to have taken on a life of their own in pop culture, which is really hitting the jackpot for an advertiser in the age of Tivo.

"When GEICO started with us, they were spending probably just 1 or 2 million and now they've had 3 million new customers last year, they're the fastest growing car insurance, and now I don't think it's revealing too much to say they spend in the hundreds of millions of dollars…because it pays like crazy," Hughes said.

Stuart Elliott covers the advertising industry for the New York Times and says that other companies have now had to try to counter the effects of GEICO's advertising and it has turned into something of an arms race.

"The effect of that on the Madison Avenue agencies has been that they're trying no to be more creative and more innovative,' he said.

"I just hope these commercials raise the level of advertising — make it a more pleasant experience," Hughes said. "I hope our commercials are having a cleansing effect on commercials. There is often too much cynicism."

The Martin Agency is also responsible for the UPS commercials — "What can brown do for you?" — as well the army of scissors chopping up credit cards in the Discover card commercials.

Andy Azula is in charge of the UPS account, but he's also the guy standing at the white board, drawing in the commercials. Needless to say, it's extremely rare for an advertising executive to wind up in the ad.

"I think this climate lets your inner goofball out quite a bit…in fact I think it's highly encouraged....I think that's where a lot of the best ideas come from," he said.

The Martin Agency has just landed the biggest retail account of them all: Wal-Mart.

"When you find you've won something like Wal-Mart, this huge, huge goliath and there is this 15-minute period where you say, 'Now what? What do we do now?'"

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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

[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!

[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....

[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

[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.

[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.

[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'.

[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?

[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?