# 2 ad campaign characters on at the same time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [January 16, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746 "2026-01-16T16:31:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/1 "2026-01-16T16:31:16Z")
Watching TV (too much, but it is winter time) and noticed Progressive Insurance has 2 popular ad campaigns going on at the same time right now with completely different characters. Flo and her group and Dr. Rick and his group. Any other dual ad campaign characters (each relatively popular) airing at the same time, either now or in the past? I think the Geico Gecko and Caleb the “Hump Day” camel were on at the same time. Maybe Jared from Subway and the office workers talking like kids? I don’t know if they were on at the same time though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/2 "2026-01-16T16:47:57Z")
Disclosure: I work in advertising, as a strategist, and I worked with a major property-and-casualty insurance company for several years. > [@a6ka97](#): > > I think the Geico Gecko and Caleb the “Hump Day” camel were on at the same time. Geico has regularly run several different campaigns simultaneously. The Gecko ads are pretty much evergreen for them, but they also regularly cycle in new ideas, to see if they stick. The Cavemen, the “troubadours” campaign (which included “Hump Day”), etc., all get introduced by Geico, and if they turn out to be popular (esp. if they generate social media buzz), they may stick around for a while, and/or get rotated back in regularly. They’re currently running a campaign with “stars and regular people,” like [this ad with former NFL star Emmitt Smith](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Q563KQmFg), and a “regular person” translating Emmitt’s words into plain talk about Geico; it’s a twist on a similar campaign which Geico ran about 15 years ago, with stars who are known for talking oddly (like this one, with [Peter Frampton using his “talk box”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR_Bjf-a5rs) ), translating the testimonials of “real Geico customers.” Geico pioneered the use of humor and “characters” in property-and-casualty insurance, as well as simultaneously running multiple campaigns, and the other big players eventually followed. Frequently, the different campaigns have slightly different messages: for Progressive, the “Flo” campaign is primarily about their main claim around shopping and saving, while the “Dr. Rick” ads are targeted towards younger people, with a claim that’s specifically around saving money by bundling homeowner and auto insurance. For Geico, the Gecko ads are usually around their main claim around savings, while the Cavemen ads are around ease of shopping and switching (“so easy, even a caveman can do it”). Geico and Progressive also run smaller campaigns, often with the same characters, to inform people that they also offer specialty insurance (boats, RVs, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/3 "2026-01-16T16:49:08Z")
In the 1990s, Budweiser had several commercials with a group of three frogs that would croak “Bud…weis…er.” At the same time, they had several commercials with ants that were carrying a bottle of Budweiser back to their anthill. This was in addition to the perennial Clydesdale horse ads that Budweiser has been showing forever. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/4 "2026-01-16T16:52:15Z")
Allstate runs the Mayhem commercials while also running the campaign featuring fans of college football teams (Michigan, Texas, Georgia) doing stupid things. State Farm runs the commercials featuring Jake from State Farm while also running the Batman vs Bateman commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/5 "2026-01-16T18:31:52Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Geico has regularly run several different campaigns simultaneously. The Gecko ads are pretty much evergreen for them, but they also regularly cycle in new ideas, to see if they stick. The Cavemen, the “troubadours” campaign (which included “Hump Day”), etc., all get introduced by Geico, and if they turn out to be popular (esp. if they generate social media buzz), they may stick around for a while, and/or get rotated back in regularly. It never ceases to amaze me what folks on these Boards know about. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/6 "2026-01-16T18:56:28Z")
I learned a lot! Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/7 "2026-01-16T19:07:25Z")
Liberty Mutual has Limu Emu……..and Doug while also running the ads with the park bench in front of the Statue of Liberty. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/8 "2026-01-16T19:16:05Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > Liberty Mutual has Limu Emu……..and Doug while also running the ads with the park bench in front of the Statue of Liberty Another excellent example. The humorous Statue of Liberty park ads which they currently run are an evolution of an older, “straight/serious” campaign which they had previously run, before they pivoted into humor about 6 or 7 years back. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NDieGsnwyyo/hqdefault.jpg "liberty mutual commercial 2015 tv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDieGsnwyyo) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/9 "2026-01-16T19:16:49Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It never ceases to amaze me what folks on these Boards know about. > [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I learned a lot! Thank you You are very welcome! I occasionally get to use my Sith powers of advertising for good. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/10 "2026-01-16T19:51:53Z")
Back in the ‘80s or early ‘90s, a hot redhead played the Wendy mascot of the eponymous hamburger chain, accompanied by the _real_ Wendy (the daughter of founder Dave Thomas) in another series of commercials. So far as I recall, they never revealed which version of Wendy audiences preferred. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/11 "2026-01-16T19:59:11Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > Liberty Mutual has Limu Emu……..and Doug Whenever I see those ads, I imagine the ad company trying to come up with something for their “LiMu (a/k/a Liberty Mutual) account.” Eventually somebody jokingly calls it the “Emu account”, it becomes the office term, and an idea is born. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/12 "2026-01-16T20:31:08Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > So far as I recall, they never revealed which version of Wendy audiences preferred. If we’re voting, Hot Wendy. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/13 "2026-01-16T20:37:25Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Whenever I see those ads, I imagine the ad company trying to come up with something for their “LiMu (a/k/a Liberty Mutual) account.” > > Eventually somebody jokingly calls it the “Emu account”, it becomes the office term, and an idea is born. Speaking as someone who’s worked at ad agencies for the last 25 years…this wouldn’t surprise me in the least. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/14 "2026-01-16T20:44:46Z")
State Farm seems to have two different flavors of campaign with different characters. Those featuring “Jake from State Farm” usually have him interacting with various NFL people in humorous situations. (Patrick Mahomes most often, though he has also recently had commercials with Derrick Henry, Aidan Hutchinson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and so on.) There is a totally separate campaign that has been going on for a while, running in parallel, with the joke being actor Jason Bateman fighting crime as “Bateman” against Batman’s rogue gallery of villains. Bateman’s only superpower seems to be a snarky attitude as he gets horribly outmatched and the real Batman has to save him. I think Jake does appear, briefly, mostly to do voiceovers, but Bateman is clearly the main spokesperson in those spots. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/15 "2026-01-16T21:29:21Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Speaking as someone who’s worked at ad agencies for the last 25 years [Aside] Have you ever seen the movie _Crazy People_? 80’s movie starring Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah. A bunch of people from a mental institution create ads. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IJSmJKmJ8JE/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHGBoAC4AOKAgwIABABGFggVihlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCTymyqHUTAOh-tuGroVL0x2UiK7A "Crazy People - Great Scenes From a Wonderful Movie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJSmJKmJ8JE) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/16 "2026-01-16T21:29:48Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > [Aside] Have you ever seen the movie _Crazy People_? 80’s movie starring Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah. A bunch of people from a mental institution create ads. Yes, and I love it! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/17 "2026-01-16T21:32:55Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Back in the ‘80s or early ‘90s, a hot redhead played the Wendy mascot of the eponymous hamburger chain, You’re not alone in thinking that was supposed to be Wendy, but it’s a character just called “Red” (played by Morgan Smith-Goodwin, who’s actually blonde). And it was in the 2010s. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/18 "2026-01-16T21:38:12Z")
_Crazy People_ was a fantastic movie. Freaking hilarious. > [@garygnu](#): > > You’re not alone in thinking that was supposed to be Wendy, but it’s a character just called “Red” (played by Morgan Smith-Goodwin, who’s actually blonde). Here’s an example commercial, where she is identified as “Red” in the beginning of it, stylized like a music video. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qkv1fJ_FRTA/hqdefault.jpg "Wendy's All By Myself Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkv1fJ_FRTA) ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/19 "2026-01-16T22:24:57Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Whenever I see those ads, I imagine the ad company trying to come up with something for their “LiMu (a/k/a Liberty Mutual) account.” > > Eventually somebody jokingly calls it the “Emu account”, it becomes the office term, and an idea is born. What really gets me is the jingle. Liberty, Liberty, Liberty [pause] Liberty. It’s a really stupid jingle, but the rest interrupting the repetition of the words is pure genius. That rest is what gets the jingle stuck in the listener’s head for the rest of the day. I hope the musician who came up with it got handsomely rewarded for what is probably the simplest jingle in the history of advertising. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746/20 "2026-01-17T01:09:19Z")
Wow, that recent? I guess my sense of time has gotten skewed by the different places I’ve lived over the last 40+ years. I do remember, though, that “Red” was actually not a natural redhead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-ad-campaign-characters-on-at-the-same-time/1026746.md?page=2)