# Are Geico's Commercials Getting A Bit Surreal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381 "2012-04-10T17:05:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/21 "2012-04-11T04:46:53Z")
I like the one with the Chicago accent. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/22 "2012-04-11T14:20:03Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Maybe so, but I just \*love \*the “squirrel jail” one. It makes me giggle every time. > > “Justice!” 😃 I just realized this one is for Progressive. D’oh! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/23 "2012-04-11T15:18:26Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Okay, you guys! I give. You’re right. 🙂 I miss the cavemen though! Didn’t they have a tv show that was on for about 10 minutes? > > And, while we’re talking insurance commercials. That Allstate guy with his car up a pole and in the middle of what he calls his “house” (looks more like a storefront to me). How the hell do you run a car up a pole??? I actually saw the aftermath of a car-up-pole incident. The driver had apparently ran up the only pole around with a heavy enough support wire to hold up the car. The pole was on the west side and he was going north, so he had to have crossed over. Any other pole and he probably would have been killed. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/24 "2012-04-11T16:25:14Z")
This thread made me wonder which company has the most popular commercials, [so I made a poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=648038). ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/25 "2012-04-11T17:18:02Z")
You know that one where the guy rear ends the older man and the guy says “tell me you have good insurance”? Is that younger guy Jay of Jay and Silent Bob? (Allstate). Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/26 "2012-04-11T17:32:33Z")
I voted for Aflac, and my favorite of theirs is where the pigeon says “Pay the doctors, boyyyyy!” [Aflac - Pidgeon Commercial - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvLP6xCiAA) “major medical”! Q ---
**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:** [April 26, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/28 "2012-04-26T18:31:01Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > But the Geico one? Would it make me wanna buy their insurance? What do _you_ think? 🙂 I formerly worked in advertising, and specifically in auto insurance ads (though not for Geico). They aren’t trying to get you to buy auto insurance directly with that ad (or, frankly, with most of their ads). They’re trying to get you to remember their brand name, in what they hope is a clever fashion, and trying to hammer home what their brand is about (Caveman ads = it’s easy to do, rhetorical question ads from last year = you save a lot of money, etc.). Thus, when you _do_ decide to shop for auto insurance, you’ll think of Geico, and remember that getting a quote from them is easy, and you can save money. Also: Geico is infamous for throwing a lot of different kinds of ads out there. Some work, and they keep getting run (or new ads in the same series get made), and the ones that don’t get axed. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381/29 "2012-04-26T18:55:25Z")
KFC: “Maybe it’s just the cake talking, but let’s celebrate!” (approximate quote) Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I probably look too deeply into the phraseology/acting of some of these commercials, but I like to pick them apart. This one is similar to the phrase we use to explain that too much booze is causing us to say something we ordinarily wouldn’t: All three of the references the kid uses is reminiscent of how someone might speak or act if he’s under the influence. (in my opinion, of course) 1. Mother is referred to by her first name (boldness influenced by booze) 2. Mistakenly calling the Washington monument the Eiffel Tower (iffy, this one) 3. Sleeping till 11:15 (something one might do if he’s overdone the drinking) And of course, “the cake talking” It’s subtle, but IMO, it’s there. And I know: “Quasi again. Get with the times, dude” :), right?🙂 Q [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-geicos-commercials-getting-a-bit-surreal/618381.md?page=1)