Comments on: Gaga over Geico http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Thu, 17 May 2012 21:10:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Alpha Mind http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3224 The Alpha Mind Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:55:03 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3224 <strong>Grant McCracken and Little Richard</strong> Grant McCracken is Gaga over Geico, and tells us why. Ill add something: Theres a serious problem with using real customers, not celebrities to speak for a product, and its more acute in audio than in print, and worse... Grant McCracken and Little Richard

Grant McCracken is Gaga over Geico, and tells us why. Ill add something:
Theres a serious problem with using real customers, not celebrities to speak for a product, and its more acute in audio than in print, and worse…

]]> By: The Alpha Mind http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3225 The Alpha Mind Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:35:43 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3225 <strong>Grant McCracken and Little Richard</strong> Grant McCracken is Gaga over Geico, and tells us why. Ill add something: Theres a serious problem with using real customers, not celebrities to speak for a product, and its more acute in audio than in print, and worse... Grant McCracken and Little Richard

Grant McCracken is Gaga over Geico, and tells us why. Ill add something:
Theres a serious problem with using real customers, not celebrities to speak for a product, and its more acute in audio than in print, and worse…

]]> By: Adam Richardson http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3223 Adam Richardson Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:30:01 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3223 Most insurance ads seem to fall into two categories: Rewind: Showing how quickly they life back to normal. Usually illustrated by running the film or plot backward. Random: Aflack duck anyone? Geico's ads largely fall into this category. Reality: Sincere interviews and montages of local agents showing how they respond after tornadoes. State Farm has done a lot of this (did you know Barry Manilow did their jingle back in his early days?) I hadn't thought about it before, but they advertise a heck of a lot. As Steve points out, the variety of Geico's ads stop them from being overly repetitive, as they would be if based on a single theme from any of the R's. Most insurance ads seem to fall into two categories:

Rewind: Showing how quickly they life back to normal. Usually illustrated by running the film or plot backward.
Random: Aflack duck anyone? Geico’s ads largely fall into this category.
Reality: Sincere interviews and montages of local agents showing how they respond after tornadoes. State Farm has done a lot of this (did you know Barry Manilow did their jingle back in his early days?)

I hadn’t thought about it before, but they advertise a heck of a lot. As Steve points out, the variety of Geico’s ads stop them from being overly repetitive, as they would be if based on a single theme from any of the R’s.

]]> By: steve http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3222 steve Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:05:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3222 I've been citing Geico a lot in these threads because I think it's a great example of an ad campaign that has the multiplicity Grant advocates at the tactical level while possessing stringent message discipline at the strategic level. I will bet just about everybody who watches football (huge buys for some reason for football) knows by now that Geico a) claims to have low rates b) that are easy to check and access on its website. The celebrity series is focused on a different aspect, superior claims service, which I suspect is not quite as driven into everyone's consciousness yet. And this is all wrapped up in the idea that the product is for smart people with a sense of humor. The variety of their campaigns prevents the viewer from getting as bored and exasperated as he or she otherwise would--they really have been carpet-bombing us with a lot of messages. And it gives more chances for any given ad to click with a particular viewer, since potential customers are a heterorgeneous bunch. (Geico also runs some pretty funny radio ads, including one warning its low rates not to taunt and bully other companies' rates and one parodying business strategy discussions.) I’ve been citing Geico a lot in these threads because I think it’s a great example of an ad campaign that has the multiplicity Grant advocates at the tactical level while possessing stringent message discipline at the strategic level. I will bet just about everybody who watches football (huge buys for some reason for football) knows by now that Geico a) claims to have low rates b) that are easy to check and access on its website. The celebrity series is focused on a different aspect, superior claims service, which I suspect is not quite as driven into everyone’s consciousness yet. And this is all wrapped up in the idea that the product is for smart people with a sense of humor.

The variety of their campaigns prevents the viewer from getting as bored and exasperated as he or she otherwise would–they really have been carpet-bombing us with a lot of messages. And it gives more chances for any given ad to click with a particular viewer, since potential customers are a heterorgeneous bunch. (Geico also runs some pretty funny radio ads, including one warning its low rates not to taunt and bully other companies’ rates and one parodying business strategy discussions.)

]]> By: Stephen Denny http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3221 Stephen Denny Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:47:22 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3221 ... and don't forget Bob LaFontaine, "that movie announcer guy", who seems downright pleased with himself after finishing off his dramatic reading. "In a world... where BOTH of our cars were under water..." Frankly, I'm not sure why Geico has three fairly incompatible ad campaigns running simultaneously. The gecko seems a bit strained, the cavemen felt like a one-off that has just gone on too far, and while the celebrity spokespeople are certainly entertaining (for the most part), I'm not sure what they're delivering. I wonder if all this is helping them sell more stuff. … and don’t forget Bob LaFontaine, “that movie announcer guy”, who seems downright pleased with himself after finishing off his dramatic reading. “In a world… where BOTH of our cars were under water…”

Frankly, I’m not sure why Geico has three fairly incompatible ad campaigns running simultaneously. The gecko seems a bit strained, the cavemen felt like a one-off that has just gone on too far, and while the celebrity spokespeople are certainly entertaining (for the most part), I’m not sure what they’re delivering.

I wonder if all this is helping them sell more stuff.

]]> By: botogol http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3220 botogol Fri, 09 Mar 2007 06:09:06 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3220 Have you seen the British TV show 'Extras', by Ricky Gervais. This also makes very novel, and subtly disturbing use of celebrities who appear on the show as 'themselves'.... except they don't. They play a distorted, worrisome version of themselves. Worth a look - especialyl series 2 with it's nested levels of meaning. Here'a review of one episode http://danowen.blogspot.com/2006/10/extras-episode-6-series-2.html Have you seen the British TV show ‘Extras’, by Ricky Gervais. This also makes very novel, and subtly disturbing use of celebrities who appear on the show as ‘themselves’…. except they don’t. They play a distorted, worrisome version of themselves. Worth a look – especialyl series 2 with it’s nested levels of meaning.
Here’a review of one episode

http://danowen.blogspot.com/2006/10/extras-episode-6-series-2.html

]]> By: Steve Portigal http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3219 Steve Portigal Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:40:14 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3219 NYT on this series (and some others) - For Some Aging Actors, Self-Mockery Sells http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/business/media/01adco.html?ex=1330405200&en=da5d881d21588129&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss How can Geico develop three divergent ad campaigns (caveman, gekko, and celeb) that are strong and working independent of each other? They all take an irreverent view of advertising, but this one goes all the way and makes fun of itself; advertising has long since co-opted parody! NYT on this series (and some others) – For Some Aging Actors, Self-Mockery Sells
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/01/business/media/01adco.html?ex=1330405200&en=da5d881d21588129&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

How can Geico develop three divergent ad campaigns (caveman, gekko, and celeb) that are strong and working independent of each other?

They all take an irreverent view of advertising, but this one goes all the way and makes fun of itself; advertising has long since co-opted parody!

]]> By: Adam Richardson http://cultureby.com/2007/03/gaga_over_geico.html/comment-page-1#comment-3218 Adam Richardson Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:29:59 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=519#comment-3218 Did you see the spot on The Daily Show after the state of the union address where they superimposed Bush on top of the Geico customer, and had Little Richard "react" to his statements on terrorism, danger, and "don't worry be happy"? It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It was on YouTube, I think all that stuff has been yanked since. Did you see the spot on The Daily Show after the state of the union address where they superimposed Bush on top of the Geico customer, and had Little Richard “react” to his statements on terrorism, danger, and “don’t worry be happy”? It was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It was on YouTube, I think all that stuff has been yanked since.

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